As the clock hit zero on Michigan’s 24-17 win over Michigan State on Saturday, there were some fireworks between the two teams. Players from both teams got involved in a skirmish, and now Spartans athletic director Alan Haller is calling for Michigan to be held to the “same standard” as everyone else when it comes to disciplinary action.
After the Wolverines took a knee to end the game, Michigan State defensive end Anthony Jones and Michigan tight end Colston Loveland engaged in a physical altercation. That drew a crowd, and the Wolverines’ sideline quickly emptied onto the field while several Spartans came running over from the far sideline.
In the midst of the commotion, the video appears to show Michigan running back Kalel Mullings engaging with a member of Michigan State personnel on the ground.
Haller, a former Michigan State defensive back, knows what can happen when tensions run high in these rivalry games. Speaking with reporters, Haller made it clear that he wants the Spartans to get a fair shake when the incident gets reviewed by the Big Ten Conference.
“I played in four of these, and emotions are high,” Haller said. “This game is not like anything our teams play throughout the year. I can’t play in this game anymore, but when we play that team, I’m just gonna make sure our kids have a fair playing field and that we’re held to the same standards as everybody else.”
Two years ago, in 2022, Michigan State and Michigan brawled in the tunnel after the game. Eight Spartans were suspended by Michigan State for the rest of the season, and seven of them faced criminal assault charges.
Defensive back Khary Crump, who swung his helmet at a Michigan player, initially faced felony assault charges and was suspended for the first eight games of the 2023 season by the conference. In addition to Crump’s suspension, the Big Ten also hit Michigan State with a $100,00 fine.
Haller said he hopes that the Big Ten, led by second-year commissioner Tony Petitti, will apply the same standard to Michigan.
“We’re held to a certain standard, I want them to be held to the same standard,” Haller said.
While players from both teams were involved in the postgame scrum, Haller said he was proud of how “restrained” Michigan State was and praised the Spartans’ coaching staff for their role in that.
“You could see that our players were restrained and that our staff did a great job in preventing any of our players getting involved in what happened,” Haller said.
The Big Ten Conference is still investigating the altercation, and Haller said he has not been given a timeline for when that investigation will be concluded.
