Michigan State Football

Michigan State University has paid global investigative agency Kroll $3.9 million since February to aid in settling Title IX matters.

According to ESPN.com's Nicole Noren and Paula Lavigne, 25 Title IX investigations have been completed in 2017-18, which is down from 74 during the previous year. Also, cases have taken an average of 120 days to complete, which is a 50 percent increase from 2016-17.

Kroll was hired after several current and former Michigan State students testified that former MSU and USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar sexually assaulted them during their time at the school.

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in January after pleading guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was then sentenced to an additional 40 to 125 years in prison on three other counts in February.

Nassar was first sentenced to 60 years in prison on child pornography charges in December.

From 2016-17 to 2017-18, Title IX reports increased 63 percent at Michigan State from 718 to 1,168, per Noren and Lavigne.

Along with Kroll, MSU hired Miller Canfield and INCompliance Consulting to help handle the influx of reports. Since the summer, Michigan State has paid those firms $177,000 and $167,000, respectively.

Michigan State interim Office of Institutional Equality vice president Rob Kent told ESPN.com that he believes Kroll has helped the university in its handling of Title IX cases. He added: "I don't think we have a problem at all with what they've done so far. It's hard to place a [dollar] number on the value of our students and our employees on campus."

Kroll, Miller Canfield and INCompliance Consulting are all still employed by MSU.

Former Michigan State football staff member Curtis Blackwell has filed a federal lawsuit against football coach Mark Dantonio and four others claiming he was wrongfully accused of covering up for Spartan student-athletes in an alleged sexual assault in January 2017, according to Matt Mencarini of the Detroit Free Press.

The lawsuit claims he was unlawfully arrested and his constitutional rights were infringed upon after the university and athletic department began "feeling the heat from the Larry Nassar cover-up."

"With no evidence, none, that (Blackwell) covered up for the athletes, the MSU Police Department, in stormtrooper fashion cuffed (Blackwell); seized his personal and MSU cell phones and hauled him off to the MSU Police station," the suit reads.

In addition to Dantonio, former university President Lou Anna Simon, former MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis and two MSU police detectives were named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Blackwell served as the director of college advancement and performance for four years until February 2017.

According to Chris Solari  of the Detroit Free Press, he was led out of the football building in handcuffs on Feb. 8 and was suspended with pay one day later, with a letter from Hollis noting "several allegations regarding your conduct."

His contract was not renewed after May 31.

Simon and Hollis have since resigned amid the Nassar scandal in which the team doctor sexually abused hundreds of women and girls. The school paid out $500 million in settlements to 332 victims last spring.

Michigan State senior wide receiver Felton Davis III suffered a torn Achilles during Saturday's game against Michigan.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic noted that Fox confirmed the nature of the injury during its broadcast of the game.

The injury occurred late in the second quarter with the Spartans trailing the Wolverines 7-0.

Davis fell to the ground at the snap after going in motion. The field was slick due to a lightning storm that caused a delay.

The experienced wideout entered the game with a questionable designation, as he was nursing a hip injury, per the Detroit Free Press.

Davis was Michigan State's leading receiver this season with 31 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns prior to Saturday's contest.

He also led the team in 2017 with 55 grabs for 776 yards and nine scores.

Several other Michigan State wide receivers were on the injury report for Saturday's game, including Cody White (left hand), Darrell Stewart Jr. (left ankle), Jalen Nailor (undisclosed), Laress Nelson (leg), Cam Chambers (thumb) and Brandon Sowards (lower body).

Stewart, Chambers and Sowards have seen action against the Wolverines.

With Davis presumably out for the remainder of the season, the Spartans will be forced to move forward with a makeshift receiving corps in the coming weeks.

The NCAA announced Thursday that Michigan State has been cleared following an investigation into the school's handling of accusations against former physician Larry Nassar and allegations made against athletes in the football and basketball programs. 

CNN's Jill Martin obtained a copy of the release in an email from the school, which notes there were no "substantiated violations of NCAA legislation" discovered in the investigation. 

The NCAA announced in January that it had opened an investigation into Michigan State's handling of sexual assault allegations against Nassar during his time working at the school. 

School president Lou Anna Simon resigned on Jan. 24 and athletic director Mark Hollis announced his retirement on Jan. 26 in the wake of the Nassar scandal.

In February, an investigation by Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of ESPN's Outside The Lines found a pattern of misconduct involving Michigan State's football and basketball teams:

"Even MSU's most-recognizable figures, football coach Mark Dantonio and basketball coach Tom Izzo, have had incidents involving their programs, Outside the Lines has found.

"Since Dantonio's tenure began in 2007, at least 16 MSU football players have been accused of sexual assault or violence against women, according to interviews and public records obtained by Outside the Lines. Even more, Dantonio was said to be involved in handling the discipline in at least one of the cases several years ago.

[...]

"Outside the Lines also has obtained never-before-publicized reports of sexual or violent incidents involving members of Izzo's storied basketball program, including one report made against a former undergraduate student-assistant coach who was allowed to continue coaching after he had been criminally charged for punching a female MSU student in the face at a bar in 2010. A few months later, after the Spartans qualified for the 2010 Final Four, the same assistant coach was accused of sexually assaulting a different female student."

Nassar was sentenced to at least 100 years in prison after being convicted on child pornography charges and nine counts of sexual misconduct while working for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics in three separate cases. 

After leaving the team last year for making "an insensitive and totally regrettable comment" about a former teammate, linebacker Jon Reschke could once again be wearing a Michigan State Spartans uniform in 2018.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio announced at Big Ten Media Day on Tuesday that Reschke is working his way back on the roster. The decision was left up to the players.

Isaiah Hole of Wolverines Wire provided footage of Dantonio's comments:

"I talked to our football team and our players and said, 'Hey, if you guys want him back, then you have to bring him back,'" Dantonio said, via ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "It has to be a decision made by our African American players, led by them, and they have to support that."

"All indications from our players are they do want him in camp."

Reschke expressed his regret while taking responsibility for his actions back in February 2017, via Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press:

Dantonio mentioned the possibility of Reschke returning earlier this year. With the team's forgiveness, the 23-year-old has reportedly participated in the Spartans' offseason conditioning program. Now, it appears as though he will get another chance to wear the green and white.

Reschke had intended to transfer after deciding to leave Michigan State, but his plans changed as a knee injury kept him out of action last year. The NCAA, per Rittenberg, has granted him a medical waiver that will give him a sixth year of eligibility, as his injuries have limited him to just two games since 2016.

Reschke started all 14 games as a sophomore during the 2015 season, piling up 75 tackles and two sacks. He was an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten squad while being named the team's most improved player.

Michigan State announced Monday that Bill Beekman would be appointed as the school's new athletic director. 

"As I spoke with our coaches and consulted with trustees about a possible search, I heard from virtually everyone that they love the job Bill is doing," Michigan State interim president John Engler said in the press release. "I'm very confident Bill will excel. He is described as a person of integrity, attentive, a great listener, someone who really knows the university and he has a calming influence."

Beekman has served as the interim athletic director since Mark Hollis stepped aside amidst an E:60 and Outside the Lines report from ESPN that discovered several student-athletes had brought complaints against Larry Nassar to the school in the 1990s. 

Former university president Lou Anna Simon also stepped down amidst the Nassar scandal. 

Nassar was convicted on seven counts of criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to 40-175 years in prison in January, with over 150 women and girls coming forward and speaking out against him in court.

An investigate report from Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of Outside The Lines, meanwhile, discovered a "pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression" from school officials and coaches in regard to the accusations made against Nassar.

A number of coaches and trainers were named in the OTL report for brushing aside accusations against Nassar or not believing the athletes who spoke to them about his sexual assault, including former Michigan State head gymnastics coach Kathie Klages and trainer Destiny Teachnor-Hauk.

According to David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press, Engler had previously maintained he would conduct a national search to fill the athletic director position and wouldn't promote from within before reversing course and appointing Beekman.

The Michigan State Spartans scored a huge win in their 2019 recruiting class, landing a commitment from offensive tackle Devontae Dobbs on Monday.

Dobbs is one of the best players in the incoming freshman class. The Michigan native is a 5-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 13 player overall, per 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Making Dobbs' high school success and college talent more impressive is he played two years at Belleville High School with a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery in February 2018. 

Speaking to Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press, Dobbs explained his playing style and why he prefers to play on the outside of the offensive line:

"I love to pancake a guy, and then pick myself up by pushing against his body while he’s down. I like playing tackle because it’s a big dog position as opposed to playing guard on the inside. When you are playing on the outside you can get (some guys) with power and speed. Most of the best players are playing on the outside."

Dobbs is listed at 6'4" and 270 pounds. He will have to add more mass to his frame if he wants to reach his full potential against college defensive linemen and linebackers who have speed and power. 

It's a task that Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff will happily take on to add a high-ceiling talent like Dobbs. 

The Spartans have been one of the most consistent programs in the Big Ten, with at least 10 victories in six of the previous eight seasons. They are still chasing Ohio State atop the conference, but their ability to land elite recruits will go a long way toward closing the gap. 

Michigan State developed Jack Conklin into a first-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2016. Dobbs will be bringing that kind of unique upside and athleticism to East Lansing.

Former Michigan State football players Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance were sentenced to 36 months of probation Wednesday after accepting plea agreements as part of a sexual-assault case.

Christopher Haxel of the Lansing State Journal reported the sentences also included 100 hours of community service and court-ordered sex-offender treatment.

The players were dismissed from the Spartans program after they were charged in June 2017 following an "extensive criminal investigation" into the alleged sexual assault of a woman at a party in January 2017.

In April, all three pleaded guilty to a felony charge of seduction, which could have come with a five-year prison sentence. King was eligible for an additional two years in prison for a felony charge of surveilling an unclothed person.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina included a 365-day suspended jail sentence in Wednesday's ruling, which will go into effect if any of the former MSU players violate probation, per Haxel. They must also avoid dating websites.

Michigan State previously underwent leadership changes, including the exits of president Lou Ann K. Simon and athletic director Mark Hollis, after the sexual-assault scandal involving former sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar, who also worked for USA Gymnastics.

Former Michigan State wide receiver Keith Mumphery is suing the university over his dismissal in 2016.

According to Ken Palmer of the Lansing State Journal, Mumphery was banned from the school due to a 2015 sexual assault allegation. MSU said he violated the relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy, although he was never charged with a crime.

Mumphery said in the lawsuit that the dismissal has caused NFL teams to pass on signing him and that it prevented him from finishing his graduate degree.

The Houston Texans selected Mumphery in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He spent two seasons with the team and was used primarily as a return man before his release in 2016.

Mumphery said his release was a direct result of his dismissal from the school and that other teams have steered clear of him because of it.

The woman who said Mumphery sexually assaulted her also has an active lawsuit against Michigan State, per Palmer.

In her suit, the woman alleged that Mumphery was allowed to attend two university-sponsored events after his dismissal. She added that she was not notified about Mumphery's presence at the functions.

Mumphery is currently banned from the MSU campus until 2019, his lawsuit noted that he "will likely be barred" from finishing his degree at other universities due to the manner of his dismissal from Michigan State.

Former Michigan State football players Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance reached plea deals Wednesday stemming from their alleged assault of a female student during a party in January 2017. 

According to the Lansing State Journal's Matt Mencarini, the three men pleaded guilty to charges of seduction after they were initially charged with sexual assault. The agreement does not include up-front jail time. 

Mencarini added that the victim "had been consulted and approved of the terms of the plea agreements." 

King, who also pleaded guilty to surveilling an unclothed person, previously faced three charges, including first-degree criminal sexual misconduct, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and capturing an image of an unclothed person. 

Corley and Vance were initially charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. 

The three players were dismissed by Michigan State in June after the charges were filed. 

"Sexual assault has no place in our community, and I want to share my deep concern for the young woman affected and her family," head coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement at the time. 

"This is an extremely challenging situation that we have taken very seriously and has affected everyone in this program. The high standards I have established for this program will not change, and the values that we teach to everyone in this program will be enforced. I expect all of our players and staff to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the ideals of this university."