Michigan State Football

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.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles offered some helpful betting advice ahead of the Spartans' opener against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30.

Chiles said that "if you bet, take the over" for those so inclined when asked about what kind of message he and MSU want to send on the field:

The Spartans are an 11.5-point favorite over FAU, with the over/under set at 46 points at DraftKings Sportsbook.

In gambling parlance, it probably would've been better for Chiles to suggest laying the points, which is akin to betting on the favorite.

Taking the over could be read a few different ways, not all of which are an endorsement of Michigan State. Maybe you think the Spartans defense is going to give up more points than expected. The unit allowed 389.7 yards and 28.3 points per contest in 2023 and first-year head coach Jonathan Smith didn't make a ton of upgrades through the transfer portal.

Expectations for the program are fairly modest for the season ahead.

Bleacher Report's David Kenyon projected MSU to finish 12th in the Big Ten and The Athletic's Chris Vannini has the Spartans at No. 70 nationally in his full FBS rankings.

The arrival of Chiles, who followed Smith to East Lansing, has brought some reason for optimism. He only threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman at Oregon State but was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school.

This will in all likelihood be a rebuilding year for Michigan State, though.

Because of that, taking the over might be solid advice most weeks.

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

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Michigan State wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. officially withdrew from the transfer portal on Friday, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com.

The son of former eight-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates initially entered the portal on Monday, although he'll be returning to the Spartans in 2024.

The younger Gates was a 4-star prospect in 2022, ranking as the No. 9 recruit from the state of Michigan (via 247Sports' composite rankings).

After redshirting as a freshman in 2022, the 20-year-old appeared in all 12 games during the 2023 season. Although he spent most of his time with the Spartans' special teams unit, Gates still hauled in five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

With dual-threat quarterback Aidan Chiles expected to start under center after he transferred from Oregon State in Dec. 2023, Gates should have a larger offensive role in 2024. While Montorie Foster led Michigan State with 43 receptions for 576 yards in 2023, the rest of the team's receiving corps is mostly unproven.

Although Gates did not participate in offseason scrimmage activities with the Spartans prior to his initial decision to transfer, he impressed wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins in spring training drills.

"He has flashed," Hawkins said, per Nakos. "He shows the ability to win deep, to win intermediate. I just think he's taken a couple years to kind of figure college ball out and everything that it takes to be a college athlete, student-athlete. And I think things are finally slowing down for him, and he's showing up. If he continues to play like he's playing, he's gonna compete for playing time in the fall. He's had a really good spring."

With Gates returning to Michigan State, new head coach Jonathan Smith will look to improve upon the team's 2023 record of 4-8.

Michigan State wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. has entered the transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com.

The son of three-time All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates spent two seasons with the Spartans, appearing in 12 games during the 2023 season. He hauled in five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Gates Jr. was a former 4-star prospect who ranked as the No. 9 recruit from the state of Michigan during the 2022 cycle (via 247Sports' composite rankings).

Despite joining the team as a highly touted recruit, Gates redshirted in 2022 as the Spartans already had a pair of standout receivers in Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman. He acknowledged that it was difficult to wait his turn when speaking to reporters in Sep. 2023.

"It was tough, man," Gates said, per MLive.com's Kyle Austin. "It was tough, especially being a kid that likes to outwork people it was tough. I kept a chip on my shoulder."

Although he was primarily used on special teams in 2023, the 20-year-old could still have a bright future as a full-time wideout. During his high school days at Fordson, he hauled in 30 receptions for 750 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior before racking up 55 catches for 925 yards and 16 scores as a senior (via the school's official website).

His father has been supportive of him, as the former eight-time Pro Bowler told TMZ Sports in Sep. 2023 that he thinks his son can be a better player than he was.

"I can kind of give him the information that's important for him to be successful," the elder Gates said. "So, he's got a great future ahead of him."

Michigan's 2024 wide receiver group is mostly unproven behind Montorie Foster, who led the Spartans with 43 receptions for 576 yards in 2023.

Rape survivor, anti-sexual violence activist and speaker/educator Brenda Tracy seeks over $75 million in damages from Michigan State University, its Board of Trustees and ex-football head coach Mel Tucker for claims including "breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy."

USA Today's Kenny Jacoby relayed the news Friday regarding the intent-to-sue notices, which were filed in Michigan's Court of Claims on behalf of both Tracy and her nonprofit, Set The Expectation.

Tracy seeks $50 million for herself as well as $25 million for her nonprofit, per the notices, which serve as a "mandatory precursor to filing a lawsuit against a government agency," according to Jacoby.

Jacoby reported that Tucker hired Tracy in August 2021 to educate his team on sexual violence prevention.

Over one year later, Tracy filed a Title IX sexual harassment complaint in December 2022 with MSU, stating that Tucker made numerous unwanted sexual advances during their work relationship period. She also said that Tucker threatened to destroy her career and reputation if she spoke out.

MSU hired Virginia-based Title IX attorney Amanda Norris Ames to lead an outside investigation following the complaint. The investigation concluded in late October that Tucker was responsible for violating MSU's sexual harassment policy.

Jacoby relayed a summary of the findings.

"In sum, considering all available evidence, the Resolution Officer finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Respondent subjected Claimant to unwelcome conduct based on sex when he FaceTime video called Claimant without a shirt on; when he attempted to meet up with Claimant alone following the Spring Game; and when he non-consensually masturbated and used graphic, sexual language on a phone call with Claimant."

As for Tracy's latest legal filings, Jacoby provided a summary:

"The crux of Tracy's legal action is that her reputation was sullied by Tucker's sexual harassment and subsequent threats, his release of her private text messages with her deceased best friend and business assistant, and the university's failure to both prevent his misconduct and maintain the confidentiality of its investigation into her claim against him. Those actions also hamstrung her charitable work, damaged her future earnings and caused her severe psychological and emotional harm, the two filings allege."

MSU fired Tucker for cause in September 2023. Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the university stated that he was fired "for his admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university; and constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude."

MSU had signed Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million contract extension in November 2021 during a year when the Spartans went 11-2, finished No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and won the Peach Bowl. The team fell to 5-7 the following year before going 4-8 in 2023. Tucker was at first suspended two weeks into the season before being let go.

Former Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker had his appeal denied in the sexual harassment case that led to his firing.

According to the Associated Press, an attorney hired by Michigan State to be an equity review officer announced in a decision on Wednesday that Tucker "failed to provide information that proved error or bias."

Tucker became the subject of a sexual assault investigation after prominent sexual assault prevention advocate Brenda Tracy filed a complaint against him in December 2022 alleging that he made unwanted advances toward her. Tracy had been hired to speak with the Spartans football team on multiple occasions.

Kenny Jacoby of USA Today reported in September that Tucker was accused of sending her gifts, making inappropriate comments toward her and masturbating during a phone call without her consent. Tucker had contended that he had consensual phone sex with Tracy when he met with investigators.

Tucker was suspended after Tracy's allegations were made public. He was later fired after Michigan State determined he "subjected the institution to ridicule, breaching his contract and moral turpitude," per the Associated Press.

After Tucker's appeal was denied, Tracy posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, thanking those who believed and supported her.

"It's been a 13 month long nightmare, but the MSU RVSM process is finally over," Tracy wrote. "Tucker was found responsible for sexual harassment & exploitation and today his appeal was denied."

At the time of his firing, Tucker was in the third year of a 10-year, $95 million contract. He had $80 million remaining on the deal when his contract was terminated.

Aidan Chiles is joining his former coach at Michigan State.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the quarterback is transferring from Oregon State to play for Jonathan Smith, who was hired by Michigan State in November. Chiles spent his true freshman season as the Beavers' backup to D.J. Uiagalelei.

Chiles played limited snaps in nine games, passing for 309 yards and four touchdowns on 35 attempts. He also collected 79 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

A former 4-star prospect according to 247Sports' composite rankings, Chiles will continue his career with Smith, who was Oregon State's head coach from 2018 through this season.

Chiles, who is from Downey, California, will be eligible immediately and will enroll in January, according to Thamel. Chiles is one of Michigan State's first big additions as Smith looks to turn the struggling program around.

The Spartans have not reached bowl eligibility in the past two seasons, going 4-8 in 2023. Former head coach Mel Tucker was fired for cause in September after an investigation for sexual misconduct.

Following Tucker's departure, all of Michigan State's scholarship quarterbacks entered the transfer portal at the end of the season, leaving Smith and the Spartans with uncertainty heading into the offseason.

Now with a solid starting quarterback option, the Spartans have a foundation to begin Smith's tenure.

Smith showed his confidence in Chiles all throughout his freshman season, naming him the backup quarterback over Ben Gulbranson. Smith gave Chiles limited snaps in wins over Utah and UCLA and a loss against Washington.

Chiles, who turned 18 in September recognized that trust and didn't take it for granted.

"I knew he trusted in me, simply because I'm 17 and I'm getting a lot of reps I shouldn't be getting," Chiles told Thamel. "I saw that they believed in me, he's putting me out there. He trusts me to go win this third drive and put up some points."

Chiles got his footing under Smith at Oregon State. Now, he's looking to lead Michigan State's offense in the first year of the Smith era.

Michigan State faced competition from other Power 5 teams before landing Jonathan Smith as its next head coach, so athletic director Alan Haller upped his offer to a seven-year deal to secure the former Oregon State coach.

"I was nervous a couple weeks ago because there were jobs that were talking about being open--and there were jobs that were open--that were looking at him," Haller said Tuesday, per ESPN. "I had to step up my pursuit."

The Spartans finished the 2023 season with a 4-8 record amid a tumultuous year highlighted by the firing of former head coach Mel Tucker, who was the subject of a university investigation following a sexual misconduct complaint.

As Michigan State begins preparing for a 2024 campaign that will see former Pac-12 schools Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA officially joining the Big Ten, Haller said he felt like Smith was the right fit thanks to his experience coaching against those teams.

"There's no other Big Ten coach that is going to have that jumpstart on those four schools," said Haller, who interviewed 12 candidates for the position before hiring Smith.

The 44-year-old will make $7.25 million in the first year of his deal with the Spartans. Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press provided the full details of Smith's contract:

Smith will be taking over a Michigan State program that has just one winning season in the last four years. However, he has experience turning programs around, as Oregon State was a one-win team the year before he was hired. The Beavers won 10 games last year as Smith was named Co-Pac-12 Coach of the Year. He had a 34-35 record in six seasons at Oregon State.

"A lot of us in this room understand, this is going to take some work," Smith said at his introductory news conference. "I am definitely excited and up for the challenge--and the opportunity."