Report: Big Ten will now wait until prosecutor findings to comment on Michigan State tunnel incident

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was told to expect to hear from the Big Ten about its response to the MSU tunnel fracas by the end of last week.

That didn’t happen.

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On Saturday, other athletic department sources backed up Harbaugh’s words and said they expected to hear from the Big Ten “as soon as possible — maybe [Saturday night], probably Sunday” about possible repercussions, or at least a response, following an incident in which Michigan State players were suspended for their “assault” (in Harbaugh’s words) of Gemon Green and Ja’Den McBurrows.

That hasn’t happened, either.

Now, with the UMPD police report having been given to the Washtenaw County prosecutor, the Big Ten has reportedly decided to wait to see the results before commenting.

The Detroit News received comment from the Big Ten after asking about the hold up.

“We can confirm that a report was submitted to our office by our partners at UM-DPSS (Division of Public Safety and Security),” the prosecutor’s office said Monday in an email to The Detroit News. “As with any case, we will review and make a decision based on the evidence and the law.

“We are unable to comment further while the case is under review. As with any of our cases, we are not able to say when our review will be completed.”

The Big Ten has since chosen to wait until that part has been handled before proceeding.

“The Big Ten Conference is aware that the University of Michigan Police Department has completed their investigation of an altercation at Michigan Stadium between student-athletes from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan football teams on October 29, 2022,” the statement to the News read. “The official findings have been submitted to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office.

“When the conference receives the law enforcement findings, we will thoroughly review the information, in addition to the video evidence and written documentation submitted to the conference office and determine the appropriate action steps in alignment with the Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Policies.”

Ugly postgame Michigan – MSU incident drew national attention

The end of the Michigan – Michigan State game ended with one of the ugliest incidents in Big Ten history, and the Big Ten had yet to comment other than saying it was “aware” of it. More than two weeks after eight MSU players were suspended after what Jim Harbaugh called an “assault” on Green and McBurrows after they made their way to the tunnel, the conference will wait even longer.

Michigan State suspended redshirt sophomore linebacker Itayvion ‘Tank’ Brown, freshman defensive end Zion Young, junior safety Angelo Grose, and sophomore cornerback Khary Crump the Sunday night after the game. Senior linebacker/defensive end Jacoby Windmon, redshirt junior cornerback Justin White, senior defensive end Brandon Wright, and freshman cornerback Malcolm Jones were suspended later in the week. 

Michigan head coach Harbaugh said the Monday following the game he’d be “surprised” if charges weren’t filed. He said in the postgame it was an assault on two of his players walking up the tunnel to the locker room, the way they have the last several games without incident.

“Right now, we have an ongoing police investigation. What happened in the tunnel was egregious,” he said. “It’s sickening to watch the videos — the ones that are on social media right now, and also the ABC tunnel cam that’s in a higher elevation and shows much more of what took place.

“As I said, those are sickening to watch. There needs to be accountability. There needs to be a full, thorough, timely investigation. I can’t imagine that these will … that this will not result in criminal charges. The videos are bad, and it’s clear what transpired. It seems very, very open and shut. As they say … watch the tape.”

Green hurried up the tunnel after the game, one of the first off the field (as he always is) to see his father, who has limited time to spend with his son after the game. He and McBurrows, in fact, are almost always the first two in. 

This time, though, they were met by several Michigan State players. Several different videos showed the perpetrators surrounding Green. When McBurrows tried to intervene, he reportedly was pulled into another hallway and beaten. 

“An apology will not get the job done in this instance,” Harbaugh added. “There should be serious consequences for the many individuals that are culpable. On behalf of the 2022 Michigan football team, our players, our coaches, our staff, our university — this has been a very traumatic experience for everybody, especially for Ja’Den and Gemon. And we’ll support, support, support them and their families in every possible way.”

Green retained attorney Tom Mars to represent him. 

“When college football players brutally attack a member of the opposing team with their helmets, resulting in the player suffering a concussion and other injuries, an apology won’t suffice,” Mars said in a statement. “There has to be severe consequences for this kind of misconduct. 

“Not only does Gemon Green deserve to be compensated for his injuries, but severe consequences in this case will also deter others who might think they can get away with brutally beating an opposing player and only get a slap on the wrist. I’ve got news for the MSU players who did this to Gemon. They are going to feel the full wrath of the law.”

An attorney who claimed to represent one of the Michigan State players attempted to shift the blame with a response alleging Green was an instigator.

Watch for more on this development in the hours to come …