EAST LANSING, MI — Following a collaborative process between Michigan State Athletics, the NCAA, and the Division I Committee on Infractions (COI), MSU on Wednesday released a negotiated resolution associated with rules violations by former staff members within the Michigan State football program. The infractions occurred under previous head coach Mel Tucker.
Michigan State says it and the NCAA agreed that the former staff members arranged for and provided impermissible recruiting inducements and benefits and unofficial visit expenses, and engaged in impermissible contacts with prospective student-athletes.
MSU confirmed all of the Spartans’ wins for the past three seasons will be vacated. Tucker went 5-7 in 2022, he and then interim HC Harlon Barnett were 4-8 in 2023, and MSU was 5-7 in Jonathan Smith’s first season in 2024. The Spartans are 3-6 this season but will not have to forfeit any games.
“Today’s announcement brings closure to an NCAA investigation resulting from violations committed by a previous staff. Michigan State pursued a negotiated resolution to minimize the penalties and limit the possible impact on our current football student-athletes and staff, who were not involved in the violations. With this matter behind us, we are able to move forward, focusing on the present and future of Spartan football,” said MSU president Kevin Guskiewicz and athletics director J. Batt said in a joint press release.
s a result of violations, the COI imposed the following penalties.
- Three years of probation
- A financial penalty of $30,000 plus 1.5% of the budget for the football program
- Restrictions on official visits, unofficial visits, recruiting communication, recruiting-person days and off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations over the three-year probationary period
- Vacation of wins due to participation of three ineligible student-athletes
- Show-cause orders for former staff members
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