Michigan State coach Mel Tucker promised swift action in the wake of a fight between Michigan State and Michigan players in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium Saturday night immediately after the Wolverines’ 29-7 victory over the Spartans.
And by late Sunday night, Tucker had begun to act, announcing the immediate and indefinite suspensions of junior Angelo Grose, sophomores Itayvion Brown and Khary Crump and freshman Zion Young. All four were involved in the incident with Grose, Brown and Young seen on video recorded by The News punching and pushing Michigan player Ja'Den McBurrows.
In a statement released Sunday night, Tucker said the four players would remain suspended until investigations were complete “after reviewing the disturbing electronic evidence collected to date of the altercations between Michigan State and University of Michigan student-athletes.”
Tucker’s decision was supported by Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller, who issued his own statement Sunday night.
“Michigan State University, our athletics department and football program represent the highest ethical, academics and athletics standards,” Haller wrote. “Based on the alarming evidence that Coach Mel Tucker and I have been provided involving a small number of our football student-athletes and University of Michigan student-athletes at Michigan Stadium, we are in alignment that it is necessary to take preliminary action and suspend four football student-athletes. The behavior we reviewed was both uncharacteristic of our football program and unacceptable.
“On behalf of our university and athletics department, I have been in consistent contact with University of Michigan Athletics Director Warde Manuel and Big Ten Conference commissioner Kevin Warren in addition to members of our Spartan family to offer our apologies and to ensure our collaboration with law enforcement as they conduct investigations into this matter.”
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