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Big 10 issues punishments for MSU, Harbaugh, Dantonio and Bush for game day conduct

Big 10 issues punishments for MSU, Harbaugh, Dantonio and Bush for game day conduct
Posted at 6:22 PM, Oct 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-25 12:40:17-04

The Big Ten has announced a series of punishments stemming from Saturday's contentious matchup between Michigan and Michigan State.

The conference has issued a fine and a series of public reprimands to members of both programs in the wake of several on-field incidents before the game.

The punishments have been issued under the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy.

The Big Ten has determined that the Spartans violated the policy by walking across the field with linked arms and making contact with several members of the Wolverine squad who were on the field for pregame warmups.

The team has been reprimanded and fined $10,000 for that action.

MSU head coach Mark Dantonio has also been reprimanded for failing to take action to "mitigate a foreseeable conflict from occurring."

In addition, both Michigan's Devin Bush and U of M head coach Jim Harbaugh have also been reprimanded.

Bush was reprimanded for his conduct prior to the game, while Harbaugh was reprimanded for comments he made both about the incident and opponent during Saturday and Monday media availabilities.

“We are fortunate the series of events that occurred prior to the Michigan-Michigan State game did not escalate into a much more serious matter,” said Commissioner Jim Delany in a news release.  “While traditions hold great importance on our campuses, traditions do not supersede the values of good sportsmanship or the requirement for player safety.  We expect more from our coaches, students and administrators and will continue to work with our institutions to prioritize good sportsmanship moving forward.”