ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) The Big Ten fined Michigan State $10,000 and reprimanded the Spartans football team, coach Mark Dantonio, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Wolverines linebacker Devin Bush for their actions and comments regarding a confrontation before last week’s game.
The Big Ten announced Wednesday that Michigan State violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy when its team walked across the field with linked arms and initiated contact with Michigan players, who were on the field during pregame warmups.
Dantonio, who was walking behind the team during its pregame ritual, was reprimanded for ”failing 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. ”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.”
Harbaugh was reprimanded for postgame comments about the incident and Dantonio. Bush was reprimanded for tearing up Michigan State’s midfield logo with his cleats before the game.
Phone messages left for Dantonio and Harbaugh were not immediately returned.
Michigan went on to beat Michigan State 21-7.
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