Michigan-Michigan State tunnel fight 1 year later: What happened, who's still playing

It is no secret there is little love held between either side in the Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry, but the two teams are looking to turn down the temperature on the rivalry after emotions boiled over in 2022.

Michigan’s 29-7 victory over the Spartans was overshadowed by the fight that broke out in the tunnel of Michigan Stadium immediately following the game. A fight broke out between a group Michigan State players and two Michigan players as they were leaving the field and much of the melee was captured all on camera.

Social media and even ESPN cameras showing the world MSU players hitting, kicking, dragging and swinging a helmet at Michigan players in the tunnel of the Big House was a historic low point for the in-state rivalry.

U-M coach Jim Harbaugh said this week the Wolverines have a “goldfish mentality” and put the fight in the past. MSU interim coach Harlon Barnett said he is not addressing the fight with the team and is only focused on the game this season.

CHRIS SOLARI: I was right in the middle of the Michigan-Michigan State scuffle. Here's what I saw.

What happened

The Spartans was leaving the field first after handing back the Paul Bunyan trophy to the Wolverines. Most of Michigan's players stayed on the field to celebrate and allow MSU to exit through the tunnel first.

Two Michigan players, defensive backs Ja’Den McBurrows and Gemon Green, ran into the tunnel as Michigan State was leaving the field. It is unknown what exactly sparked the fight, but videos from reporters showed a group of MSU players hitting and kicking McBurrows as they dragged him down the hallway.

Footage released shortly later showed MSU linebacker Jacoby Windmon throwing Green into the wall while defensive back Khary Crump hit him with his helmet further down the hallway. Stadium security, police and other players got involved to break up the fights and both teams went to their locker rooms.

As all of this was beginning to transpire, former MSU head coach Mel Tucker had to deal with another issue as one of the last Spartans off the field. A Michigan fan reached down and touched Tucker’s head as he entered the tunnel, which along with the fight, prompted Michigan to widen the entrance to the tunnel at the Big House.

Legal aftermath

Michigan State initially suspended four players indefinitely — Crump, defensive back Angelo Grose, defensive end Itayvion Brown and defensive end Zion Young — the day after the fight. A couple days after that, MSU suspended four more players indefinitely — Windmon, cornerback Justin White, defensive end Brandon Wright and cornerback Malcolm Jones — to bring the total of Spartans punished by the school to eight.

Three weeks after the incident, Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against seven of the eight MSU players — all but Jones — for their roles in the fight. Six of the players received misdemeanor charges for aggravated assault of assault and battery but Crump was charged with a felony count of assault for hitting Green with his helmet.

Crump took a plea deal which meant he pled guilty to misdemeanor counts of assault/battery and disorderly conduct person-jostling and 12 months of probation instead of the felony charge. Crump’s probation, conducted under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, ended early in August thanks to good behavior and the charges have been wiped from his record.

White, Windmon, Wright, Brown and Grose also enrolled in a court-order program with the Prosecutor’s Office to have the charges dismissed in exchange for community service.

MSU also received the largest fine in Big Ten history, $100,000. It was the second time in the last five years MSU had to pay a fine to the conference after the Michigan game after paying the Big Ten $10,000 for the pregame incident with Devin Bush in 2018.

Where are they now? MSU

The seven players charged with misdemeanors were reinstated with the team following the 2022 season. Crump stayed with the team but is still serving an eight-game suspension from the Big Ten that lasts until Nov. 4 when MSU plays Nebraska.

Grose, Windmon, Young, Jones and Wright all returned to Michigan State in addition to Crump. Brown entered the transfer portal in April but did not join another school and White entered the transfer portal after Tucker was fired.

Windmon had 15 tackles in MSU’s first three games but is out for the season with a pectoral injury. Grose and Young are both key players for the Spartan defense and Wright has appeared as a rotational pass rusher. Jones hasn’t cracked the cornerback rotation but has two tackles on special teams.

Where are they now? Michigan

McBurrows, a junior, is still on Michigan’s roster but has been in and out of the lineup in the 2023 season with injuries. He has appeared in each of the last two Wolverines’ games against Minnesota and Indiana as a reserve.

Green finished up at Michigan following his fifth year and moved on to the NFL. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants but was cut before the start of the season. He is currently a free agent.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan-Michigan State tunnel fight 1 year later: What happened