Big Ten Releases Statement on Allegations Against Michigan State Sports

The Big Ten issued a statement Friday after Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of ESPN's Outside the Lines published an explosive report showing "a pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression" from Michigan State officials following numerous complaints of sexual assault and violence committed by members of the school's basketball and football teams. 

"The conference will continue to closely monitor each of the investigations, along with the numerous lawsuits filed against Michigan State University before drawing any conclusions as to whether there is further action required," the statement read, according to ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg. 

According to Lavigne and Noren, "at least 16 MSU football players have been accused of sexual assault or violence against women" since 2007 as were basketball players who were cited in "never-before-publicized reports of sexual or violent incidents."

The report added "MSU has three times fought in court—unsuccessfully—to withhold names of athletes in campus police records. The school has also deleted so much information from some incident reports that they were nearly unreadable."

Outside the Lines' extensive findings were published two days after disgraced United States Olympic gymnastics team doctor and former Michigan State faculty member Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct after more than 150 women and girls came forward and said they had been sexually abused by him under the guise of medical treatment.

The NCAA has since notified the school that it has launched an investigation into potential rules violations. 

"The NCAA has sent a letter of inquiry to Michigan State University regarding potential NCAA rules violations related to the assaults Larry Nassar perpetrated against girls and young women, including some student-athletes at Michigan State," a statement provided to the New York Times' Marc Tracy read. "We will have no further comment at this time."

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis and school president Lou Anna Simon have both resigned in the aftermath of Nassar's sentencing.