Jake Trotter
The NCAA has placed Michigan State football on three years of probation for violations that occurred during Mel Tucker’s tenure as coach.
The violations occurred due to the participation of three ineligible players. Now, the Spartans will vacate all 14 wins from the past three seasons, a school spokesperson confirmed. That includes all five wins last season during Jonathan Smith’s first year as coach.
The three players are no longer with the program, the spokesperson said.
Michigan State will also be penalized $30,000 plus 1.5% of the football program’s budget. For the 2024 season, that budget was $58.6 million, according to figures provided by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Spartans will also face restrictions on official and unofficial visits, recruiting communications, recruiting person days, and off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations over the probationary period.
The school released a statement saying it negotiated a resolution with the NCAA to minimize the penalties on the current team.
The NCAA handed Tucker, former Michigan State general manager Saeed Khalif and former assistant coach Brandon Jordan show-cause penalties. Tucker was given a three-year order. The NCAA said Tucker “failed to adequately monitor his program.” Khalif (six years) and Jordan (five years) were given longer penalties for knowingly providing impermissible recruiting inducements, according to the NCAA. The three cannot work in college athletics until their show-cause orders end.
Michigan State fired Tucker for cause in 2023 after he was accused of sexual harassment.
