Michigan State Sanctions Explained: What Happens Now for Spartan Football
I knew something was up when texts started popping up on my phone around 3 p.m. yesterday. Friends were firing off messages, trying to beat me to a piece of breaking news just so they could say, “Hey Slacker Bob, are you on top of this one?” Ever since I launched this site, everyone I know has essentially become a part-time news desk, especially when it involves my Spartans. And this time, they had plenty of ammo. Did you hear, did you hear? Yes, I did, and it continued throughout the day.
A couple of hours later, I’m sitting in the car waiting for my son to finish basketball practice. I throw on the radio to hear the chatter. Listening to The Valenti Show on 97.1—The Ticket, as I do on many days, they were breaking things down in real time. What I gathered from it was that MSU has been playing by one set of recruiting rules, while the rest of college football seems to be playing with a different set. And now, they are facing the consequences.
So here we are—Michigan State football was officially hit with a series of NCAA sanctions yesterday, including probation, recruiting restrictions, and the vacating of wins. Not precisely the “We have Breaking News” story you dream about as a fan, but it’s the reality MSU now has to navigate.
What MSU Actually Did
The violations stem from the previous coaching staff under Mel Tucker. Two former staffers — Saeed Khalif and Brandon Jordan — provided impermissible benefits to recruits, including paid travel and lodging on unofficial visits.
Here’s what the NCAA handed down:
- 3 years of probation
- Vacated wins from 2022–2024 (14 total)
- Recruiting restrictions across the board
- Financial penalties
- Show-cause orders for the former staff members involved
No scholarship losses, no postseason ban — but still a very real set of consequences.
The Strange Part: The Punishment Doesn’t Match the Results
Let’s be honest: if MSU was attempting to “cheat,” they really didn’t get much out of it. Those 14 vacated wins weren’t turning into trophies, playoff berths, or anything close to a breakthrough. So, in reality, who really cares? The games were played; we know the outcomes… move on.
Meanwhile, across college football you have NIL collectives throwing real money at high school seniors, programs shrugging off the NCAA entirely, and scandals far bigger than this getting resolved with far lighter consequences.
That’s where a lot of Spartan fans land today:
“Fine… but why is our punishment heavier than schools doing far worse?”
Cooperation matters now — maybe too much. MSU cooperated fully. And MSU got hit.
The Mel Tucker Factor
Whether MSU says it out loud or not, this ruling strengthens the school’s case in its long, messy separation from Mel Tucker. They can now point to:
- NCAA violations
- reputational harm
- operational fallout
and argue it as additional “cause.”
If taking these penalties today saves the university tens of millions tomorrow, it’s not hard to understand the strategy.
Jonathan Smith Finally Has Clarity — Even If the Road Gets Tougher
Here’s the real football takeaway:
Jonathan Smith now knows exactly what terrain he’s rebuilding on.
No more uncertainty.
No more waiting for the NCAA’s decision.
No more cloud hanging over every recruiting trip.
Yes, probation makes his job much harder—significantly harder. Recruits will have to determine if it’s worth visiting a school that isn’t as stable as other football programs. Recruiting restrictions are real; there is no way to get around them. It’s a case of taking your medicine, dealing with it, and rebuilding it.
He walked into a program with questions everywhere. He knew that Tucker left a mess, and it wouldn’t be easy, so where does he go from here? He might be around a while longer. As it stands with the sanctions, is MSU a destination for college coaches looking to build a program?
Road Forward?
This is the official end of the Tucker era — on the field, off the field, in every sense. MSU needed a reset, and this ruling delivers that, even if it stings.
The path forward looks like this:
- Build through development
- Recruit smarter, not louder
- Establish a culture that doesn’t cut corners
- Give Smith the runway to actually rebuild
Vacated wins don’t change anything about the future. The team on the field Saturday still controls what happens next.
And if there’s one silver lining in all this?
Michigan State finally has a clean slate. Jonathan Smith, if he remains in charge, now knows exactly the path forward, without a dark cloud still looming over the program. I
I, for one, am glad this is over. It’s been nothing but disappointment from a team I’ve supported my entire life…so let’s move on. Decide if Smith’s the right person; if not, find the best possible replacement available. Start by considering Pat Fitzerald if he’s interested. That’s a move I could get behind.
Join the conversation in the Spartan Sound Off — where fans break down every game, every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted Michigan outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
Cover image: Maize & Blue Nation, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
