Michigan State Fined $10,000 for Pregame Altercation with Michigan, Coaches Reprimanded
The Big Ten fined Michigan State $10,000 for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy last Saturday during a pregame altercation with Michigan.
The conference said the Spartans violated the policy by walking across the field with their arms linked and initiating interaction with Michigan players. Several Wolverines had already taken the field on Saturday morning when the Spartans began their regular pregame march down the turf 10 minutes late.
The Big Ten also reprimanded Michgian State's football team, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and linebacker Devin Bush for their actions and comments surrounding the incident.
Bush attempted to ruin the turf by running his cleats over the Spartan logo at midfield.
Dantonio was behind the team during their pregame walk. The Big Ten said he "[failed] to take action to mitigate a foreseeable conflict from occurring."
"We are fortunate the series of events that occurred prior to the Michigan-Michigan State game did not escalate into a much more serious matter,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said in a statement, via the Associated Press. “While traditions hold great importance on our campuses, traditions do not supersede the values of good sportsmanship or the requirement for player safety. We expect more from our coaches, students and administrators and will continue to work with our institutions to prioritize good sportsmanship moving forward.”
After the game, Harbaugh called Michigan's State's actions "bush league." When asked about Harbaugh's comments, Dantonio said "that's BS."
