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EAST LANSING 11/13/2025 – All may be fair in love and war, but there is definitely a laser guided smack down button in the NCAA office. The Michigan State Spartans thought the current season was a loss until the NCAA said, “Hold my hammer.”
Not long ago, the cries echoed across social media, “Michigan’s gonna get hammered.” The story about Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal broke mid-season 2023. But it took months for the penalty to finally come down. Michigan State fans clutched their popcorn and NCAA bylaws. They were convinced the Wolverines’ would fall in a glorious cascade of vacated wins, tarnished trophies, and Harbaugh in handcuffs.
But somewhere in the shadowy catacombs of college football the voice of the great Lee Corso whispered, “Not so fast, my friend.”
As Ohio State fans know, there was a time when buying players was not allowed. It didn’t stop the Buckeyes from throwing cash around like the nouveau riche and it didn’t go unnoticed. Mel Tucker, a DB coach at Ohio State during those years watched, learned, and patiently waited.
His opportunity came when he was hired as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans were 11-2 in 2021. It didn’t last as recruits figured out even though they were getting paid they were still playing for Michigan State. In 2022 the Spartans were 5-7 and early in 2023 Tucker was fired. Oddly, not because he failed as a coach. The Spartans are used to that.
Reasons aside, his buyout was huge, and out of the blue someone made the NCAA aware of recruiting violations.
The Spartans had been a little too generous with their “unofficial visits.” The NCAA called it a “Level II violation.” Spartan fans called it “a misunderstanding.” The rule book, so highly prized by the Spartans when Michigan was being investigated, called it “oops, that’s a vacated win.”
Yes, vacated wins. Not for Michigan. For Michigan State.
Cue the dramatic organ music.
The NCAA’s ruling requires MSU to vacate wins from the 2021 to 2023 because buying players is wrong. They get to keep the Peach Bowl, though. But those regular-season victories? Poof. Gone. Like a Kenneth Walker stiff-arm into the end-zone. Which probably doesn’t count any more.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s punishment? Still very much not vacated wins.
Spartan Twitter, once a cauldron of schadenfreude, now resembles a therapy group. “We were promised Harbaugh’s head,” one fan sputtered through tears. He was consoled by another fan who reminded him it wasn’t that many wins anyway.
And just when you thought the drama had peaked—twist ending!—the NCAA praised Michigan State for its “exemplary cooperation.” That’s right. The Spartans got credit for snitching on themselves, no private investigator needed.
So here we are. Michigan still proudly hoisting a National Championship trophy, and Michigan State… well, they can take pride in their alleged honesty as they try to determine which games that still count.