Why were Michigan State football players suspended?

Last Saturday, the Michigan Wolverines met the Michigan State Spartans in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in a Week 8 matchup. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans by 29-7, and that led to a scuffle between the two sides while the players were in the locker room tunnel.

A video captured by the Detroit News showed Spartans players kicking and punching a Michigan player as they left the field. The video wasn't entirely clear, and the player that got jumped was later identified as Michigan cornerback Ja'Den McBurrows.

After the incident took place, Michigan State announced the suspension of four players the following day. Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker announced that junior Angelo Grose, sophomores Itayvion 'Tank' Brown and Khary Crump, and freshman Zion Young have been suspended, effective immediately.

On Tuesday, four more players: defensive end Jacoby Windmon and Brandon Wright, as well as cornerbacks Justin White and Malcolm Jones were also added to the list of suspended players. As of now, Michigan State has suspended a total of eight players that did not participate in the game against Illinois.

All eight players have been suspended indefinitely pending the conclusion of the ongoing law enforcement investigation into the incident in the Michigan Stadium tunnel. The Spartans' head coach Mel Tucker said in his statement that safety of athletes is their main priority.

"We are working with law enforcement, Michigan State and Michigan campus leadership, and the Big Ten Conference to further evaluate the events in Ann Arbor, including but not limited to, additional student-athlete participation in the altercation and contributing factors. The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, personnel, and the Spartan community remain our number one priority. You have my promise that we are committed to fairness, transparency, and accountability, and that we will continue to take appropriate action in this matter."

How does the suspension affect the position of Michigan State?

The biggest loss for the Spartans came in the suspension of junior Angelo Grose. He played both safety and nickelback for the Spartans this season and was the most experienced among the eight suspended players.

In the last three seasons, he hasn't missed a single game and has 25 career starts. He also ranks fourth in the team with a total of 53 tackles.

Defensive end Jacoby Windmon is also an important loss for the Spartans. The three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week got transferred to Michigan State this season from UNLV. He led the State with 49 tackles, including 10.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks, three pass breakups and an interception.

White and Wright have been Spartans' rotating players this season, appearing in every game. Jones, a true freshman, has appeared in three games this season and will almost certainly redshirt next year.