Michigan State AD Alan Haller reportedly calls out Big Ten hypocrisy over Michigan scandal

Much like the Big Ten football coaches did late Wednesday, the conference's athletic directors met with league commissioner Tony Petitti via video call, according to multiple reports.

ESPN's account of the meeting — in which the ADs urged Petitti to take some kind of action against Michigan football for the sign-stealing scandal that the NCAA is investigating — recounted an interesting point from another local figure.

According to Pete Thamel's report, one athletic director who spoke during the call was Michigan State's Alan Haller. He reportedly described the lengths that the Spartans had to go through in preparation for their game against the Wolverines on Oct. 22, just days after the school was told by the Big Ten that the NCAA was investigating U-M.

"Haller worried about players potentially getting hurt because Michigan players, in theory, knew where they'd be going on plays," Thamel wrote.

RAINER SABIN: Sign-stealing scandal reinforces Jim Harbaugh's polarizing image as Michigan football's coach

But what was most interesting was the other point Haller raised. He reportedly called attention to the Big Ten's swift actions made on the eight Michigan State football players involved in the fight after last season's U-M game at Michigan Stadium. In that instance, the suspensions came down before the Big Ten — or even legal authorities — concluded their investigations.

"He pointed out that it was hypocritical that this year, with Michigan under investigation, the league is now waiting for an investigation to unfold," according to the report.

WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR: When Michigan hosts Michigan State, plus more on 2024 Big Ten schedule

While the circumstances aren't exactly apples to apples, Haller may have a point. In men's basketball last year, Michigan coach Juwan Howard was suspended for the remainder of the regular season and fined $40,000 one day after he slapped Wisconsin assistant coach Joel Krabbenhoft in the handshake line after a game.

The Howard suspension and the tunnel fight are more comparable — both event became viral, one also on national television, the other right after a nationally televised game. The alleged sign-stealing scandal doesn't have a concrete touchtone moment, though the purported video of possible Connor Stalions in Central Michigan gear on the sideline at Spartan Stadium checks many of the boxes.

Petitti was not the commissioner for either situation last year, but as Yahoo Sports points out in their report of Thursday's call, the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy provided the commissioner to take disciplinary steps if the offending party's actions violate the "integrity of competition" in the "competitive arena."

Yahoo reported that the policy says the discipline can be standard — no more than two games suspension (likely for the head of the program) and a $10,000 fine — or major, which would have be voted upon by the Big Ten executive board of presidents.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MSU AD Alan Haller: Hypocritical how Big Ten is handling Michigan