Michigan, MSU Won't Face Discipline for Postgame Fight After Big Ten's Video Review

The Big Ten will not take disciplinary action against any players involved in the fight following Michigan's 24-17 win over Michigan State on Saturday.

The conference said in a statement that it was "inconclusive as to whether individual discipline was appropriate" after reviewing footage of the scene.

The fight occurred after Michigan kneeled down to seal the victory. Michigan's Colston Loveland and Michigan State's Anthony Jones appeared to grapple with one another before both teams rushed onto the field.

The Big Ten called the incident "a disappointing conclusion to the contest" and thanked staff, referees and security for breaking up the fight.

Neither Michigan nor MSU leadership had publicly called for any further discipline before the Big Ten's decision. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore told reporters after the game that the Wolverines would handle the matter "internally."

"That's not how we represent the block 'M' or the winged helmet, so we'll take care of that and it'll never happen again," Moore said.

MSU head coach Jonathan Smith meanwhile told reporters he was waiting for the Big Ten to investigate the incident.

"I haven't thoroughly looked at every angle and all that," Smith said on Monday. "It was a lot of bodies out there. We had a staff member that was in the fray of it and a player in the fray of it, and that's what we're hoping they're looking into."

Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller told reporters that he wanted the Big Ten to hold Michigan to "the same standard that everyone's held to," but that he did not believe the situation would necessitate any criminal charges.

This is the second straight time a Michigan-Michigan State game at the Big House has escalated to the point of an altercation between players. The 2022 rivalry led to a brawl in the tunnel after the game, which was followed by a police investigation and criminal charges being filed against multiple Michigan State players.

The Michigan athletic department told the Detroit Free Press' Tony Garcia in a joint statement with police after the 2022 game that there had been safety changes made after the incident two years ago, including "the stricter separation of teams before, during, and after games to prevent future conflicts."

The police and athletic department added two years ago that "technology has been updated to better detect and respond to potential incidents, ensuring a safer environment for all." Michigan later announced plans to widen the tunnel in which the previous incident had taken place.