CNN
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Four Michigan State University football players have been suspended while school police investigate a brawl in a stadium tunnel after the University of Michigan’s No. 4 Wolverines beat the unseeded Michigan State team 29-7 Saturday.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker announced a permit Players have been suspended from the team after a “disturbing electronic evidence review” of the melee. Tucker said the suspension will be in effect until investigations into the accident are completed.
Show a video posted to Twitter from The Detroit News Several Spartan players quarrel with Wolverine player In the tunnel at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Michigan soccer coach Jim Harbaugh said two of his players were “assaulted,” one of whom may have had a broken nose.
“I saw the one video, 10 on one, it’s…too bad,” Harbo said.
“What happened after the game is totally unacceptable,” Michigan Athletic Director Ward Manuel said.
School police from the two universities are jointly investigating the incident. In his statement regarding the players’ suspension, Tucker said Michigan State will continue to assess “additional student and athlete participation in scrimmages and contributing factors.”
Alan Haller, Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics Directory called “Alarming,” adding that “the behavior we reviewed was uncharacteristic of our football program and unacceptable.”
Manuel said he’s spoken with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, and “he’s looking into it.”
“The police are also investigating, because they saw the video,” Manuel said. “We’ll leave it in their own hands.”
CNN has reached out to the Big Ten for comment.
Michigan President Samuel Stanley Jr. has apologized to Michigan and called the incident “unacceptable behaviour.”
“I am deeply saddened by this incident and the unacceptable behavior portrayed by members of our football program,” Stanley said in a statement.
“On behalf of Michigan State University, I sincerely apologize to the University of Michigan and the student-athletes who were injured. No provocation can justify the behavior we see in the videos. The feuds can be intense but they should not be violent.”
Tucker took up the fight on Twitter.
“As Spartans, our program has a responsibility to maintain the highest level of sportsmanship,” Tucker tweeted on Sunday.
“While emotions were very high at the conclusion of a contention game at Michigan Stadium, there is no excuse for behavior that puts our team or opponents at risk.”
“Coach Tucker will hold the players involved accountable, and our football team and the university will cooperate with all relevant investigations by law enforcement and the Big Ten Conference,” the MSU president said.
The two schools released a joint statement saying: “University of Michigan Police, in partnership with MSU Police, Michigan Athletics and Michigan Football, is reviewing the footage and investigating a post-game incident.”
“Situations like this, and the safety of the community, are taken very seriously,” the statement said.
Schools across the country have had storied competition for generations.
“But that’s not how we should react after the game,” said Manuel, Michigan athletics director. It is totally and utterly unacceptable. … This is not what the rivalry should be about.”
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