Michigan State to vacate wins from multiple seasons for NCAA recruiting violations

The Michigan State football program has been hit with numerous NCAA penalties for recruiting violations that occurred during Mel Tucker’s tenure. The violations, though, will take away wins achieved under the first year of current head coach Jonathan Smith.

In a report released Wednesday, the NCAA found that MSU provided more than $10,000 in impermissible recruiting inducements over a period from October 2021-March 2023. Tucker was Michigan State’s head coach at that time, and has been given a 3-year show cause.

The NCAA report says it was former Michigan State general manager/player personnel director Saeed Khalif and former assistant coach Brandon Jordan who committed the violations, which included payments for airfare and lodging to prospects and traveling companions during unofficial visits to campus.

For the Level I case, Michigan State is facing the following penalties, per the NCAA release:

• Three years of probation.
• A fine of $30,000, plus 1.5% of the football program budget.
• A reduction in football official visits by two home games during the 2025 football
  season and one home game during each of the 2026 and 2027 football seasons.
• A reduction in football unofficial visits by a total of 12 weeks during the 2025-26,
  2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years, with at least one week each year coinciding
  with a home game.
  • Michigan State previously self-imposed and is credited with a reduction of
    two weeks during spring 2025.
• A total six-week ban on recruiting communications in football during the 2025-
  26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.
• A reduction of permissible recruiting person days in football by a total of 30 days
  over the 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.
  • Michigan State previously self-imposed and is credited with a reduction of
    five days in spring 2025.
• A one-week ban on off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations in football
  during each of the 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.
• Vacation of team wins and records in which the ineligible student-athletes
  competed.

Because of the violations, MSU was found to be playing ineligible players from 2022-24, meaning all wins from those seasons must be vacated. Smith’s first season was 2024, in which the Spartans went 5-7 on the field. Michigan State is 3-6 in 2025.

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.