Comment Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday he expects “criminal charges” to emerge from an investigation into the violence that erupted in the stadium tunnel Saturday after his Wolverines beat Michigan State. Noting an “ongoing police investigation,” Harbaugh said, “What happened in the tunnel was outrageous. It’s boring to watch the videos, the ones that are on social media right now.” Video of the incident from different angles showed multiple Spartans players appearing to attack Michigan’s Ja’Den McBurrows and Gemon Green. On Sunday, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker announced the indefinite suspension of four players: redshirt sophomore linebacker Itayvion “Tank” Brown, redshirt sophomore cornerback Khary Crump, junior safety Angelo Grose and freshman defensive end Zion Young. “We’re not here to justify Saturday’s behavior,” Tucker said at a news conference Monday. “They are unacceptable.” Four Michigan State players were ejected after brawling with Michigan “There has to be accountability,” Harbaugh told reporters earlier in the day. “There must be a full, thorough, timely investigation. “I can’t imagine that this won’t lead to criminal charges,” he continued. “The videos are bad and it’s clear what happened. This is very open and shut. As they say, watch the tape.” In a video shared shortly after the game ended, Brown, Grouse and Young can be seen pushing and appearing to punch and kick McBarrows. Footage from an ABC/ESPN tunnel-mounted camera that emerged Monday appeared to show Green getting hit with a Spartans helmet, with Crump involved in the brawl. In that video, another Michigan State player who wasn’t immediately ejected, linebacker/defensive end Jacoby Windmon, was seen putting on his helmet and grabbing Green. Harbaugh said placing the ABC/ESPN camera at a “higher elevation” allowed it to show “a lot more than what happened” during the incident. “I’m coming at it from the perspective of being a parent,” Harbaugh said. “These young men are entrusted to me by their families in our program and we have a responsibility to each player to treat them as our own, and I take that responsibility very seriously. An apology won’t get the job done in this case. There should be serious consequences for the many people who are at fault.” In a statement released late Sunday night by the Spartans athletic department, Michigan State president Samuel L. Stanley Jr. said he was “extremely saddened by this incident and the unacceptable behavior portrayed by members of our football program.” “On behalf of Michigan State University, I offer my sincere apologies to the University of Michigan and the student-athletes who were injured,” Stanley continued. “There is no provocation that could justify the behavior we see in the videos. Rivalries can be intense but they should never be violent.” Michigan State Athletic Director Alan Haller said in a simultaneous statement that the suspensions of the four players were “necessary” in light of the “disturbing evidence” of their involvement. Tucker issued another apology at Monday’s news conference. “We are deeply sorry for both universities, the conference, the fans, alumni, supporters and of course all of our student-athletes, past and present,” said the coach, who is in his third season with the Spartans. “Incidents involving a small group of our players are not representative of our culture,” Tucker added. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker on Monday: “We’re not here to make excuses for Saturday’s behavior. It’s unacceptable.” “We are deeply sorry for both universities, the conference, our fans, alumni, supporters and of course all of our student-athletes.” pic.twitter.com/heQy5iZFcW — Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 31, 2022 Citing police and university/Big Ten investigations, Tucker declined to comment on reporters’ questions about Harbaugh’s report of possible criminal charges and whether he was “upset” that other Spartans players didn’t do more to stop the attacks. In response to reporters at his press conference, Harbaugh did not elaborate on why McBurrows, a sophomore defensive back, and Green, a graduate defensive back, were walking through the tunnel to the locker room at the same time as Michigan State players. After games at Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium, the visiting team and its staff will leave the field first and enter the tunnel, followed by the Wolverines’ pitching staff. At halftime of Michigan’s previous home game, a win over Penn State, the Wolverines and Nittany Lions players had a heated exchange. Penn State coach James Franklin then described sharing a tunnel as a “trouble,” after which Harbaugh accused Franklin of being the “leader” of the confrontation. Franklin called for a buffer of a minute or two before Michigan’s players followed the visiting team into the tunnel, and predicted at the time that the ill will shown during his team’s visit to Michigan Stadium “won’t be the last.” of kind. Breakdown: The College Football Playoff contenders have been narrowed down to, yes, 13 On Monday, Harbaugh downplayed the tunnel setup as a problem and reiterated that the “actions of these individuals” at Michigan State were in question. He added that he wasn’t sure if Green, who has made 21 career starts for Michigan, would be available for the Wolverines’ next game, 8-0, Saturday at Rutgers. “This was a very traumatic experience for everybody, especially Ja’Den and Gemon,” said Harbaugh, a former Michigan standout in his eighth season as coach. Green’s attorney, Tom Marsh, told The Associated Press that those involved in the attack on his client will “feel the full wrath of the law.” I spoke with the father of Gemon Green, the Michigan football player who was hit with a helmet in the tunnel. He said the family plans to press charges and take legal action against those involved. He said Gemon was struck by a helmet in the face, back and shoulder. — Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) October 31, 2022 “The serious consequences in this case will deter others who may think they can get away with brutally beating an opponent and only getting a slap on the wrist,” Mars said. “… When college football players brutally attack a member of the opposing team with their helmets, causing the player to suffer a concussion and other injuries, an apology is not enough. There must be serious consequences for this kind of misconduct.”
