MSU football punishments for NCAA violations under Mel Tucker
Explaining the MSU football punishments announced Nov. 12, 2025, for NCAA violations committed from 2022-24.
Michigan State football got hit with massive NCAA punishments Wednesday, Nov. 12, including vacated wins from 2022-24.
MSU becomes the first program since Arizona State to have wins vacated by the NCAA. The Sun Devils vacated 10 wins in 2021-22 due to violations under coach Herm Edwards.
The Spartans were also hit with three years probation and fined.
Here’s every punishment from the NCAA’s report levied against the Spartans:
Why was Michigan State football punished by NCAA?
- MSU was deemed in violation of NCAA rules because former staff members under then-coach Mel Tucker “arranged for and provided impermissible recruiting inducements and benefits and unofficial visit expenses.”
- MSU allowed the participation of three ineligible players.
- Assistants Saeed Khalif and Brandon Jordan along with other members of the football staff, offered or provided approximately $10,764 in impermissible recruiting inducements to six prospects who took unofficial visits to MSU.
MSU football must vacate wins
- All 14 of the Spartans’ wins for the past three seasons will be vacated. MSU went 5-7 in 2022 under Mel Tucker, he and interim coach Harlon Barnett were 4-8 in 2023, and MSU was 5-7 in Jonathan Smith’s first season in 2024. One of those wins vacated? The 2023 opener when Connor Stalions, then a Michigan assistant, was dressed in disguise on the Central Michigan sideline.
MSU football probation
- MSU will receive restrictions on official visits, unofficial visits, recruiting communication, recruiting-person days and off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations over a three-year probationary period.
MSU football fined by NCAA
- MSU will be penalized $30,000 plus 1.5% of the football program’s budget.
Show-cause orders for ex-MSU coaches
- Tucker gets a three-year show-cause order and will be suspended from 30% of the football season during the first season of his new employment. The NCAA says Tucker “followed an NFL model for his program,” running all off-field operations through his general manager, but “failed to adequately monitor his program.”
- Khalif and Jordan, along with other staffers, offered or provided approximately $10,764 in impermissible recruiting inducements to six prospects who took unofficial visits to MSU. Jordan gets a five-year show-cause order effective Sept. 25, 2025 that runs through 2030 for Level 1 NCAA violations. Khalif received a six-year show-cause order that runs through 2031.
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