Dantonio (l) and Izzo both issued statements this week regarding the NCAA's letterGETTY IMAGES
Michigan State received a letter from the NCAA this week that "cleared it of any potential violations in the wake of Larry Nassar's abuse and allegations of sexual assault against the school's basketball and football programs," according to Chris Solari of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. NCAA VP/Enforcement Jonathan Duncan in the letter to MSU AD Bill Beekman wrote it "does not appear there is a need for further inquiry." The process was not a formal NCAA investigation, and Duncan said that the organization will "continue to monitor the situation at MSU." Meanwhile, MSU men's basketball coach Tom Izzo and football coach Mark Dantonio "both issued statements late Wednesday afternoon about the NCAA's letter." At least a dozen former MSU athletes -- from the gymnastics, volleyball, rowing, softball and track and field programs -- were "among the women and girls who gave victim-impact statements in January during Nassar's sentencing hearing" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/31).
IMPACTFUL DECISION: THE ATHLETIC's Brendan Quinn noted MSU's athletic department had been "under review" by the NCAA since January. The NCAA's "two-pronged inquiry set out to determine 1) whether any NCAA violations were committed as part of former physician Larry Nassar's systemic abuse of MSU student-athletes spanning decades and 2) whether the athletic department properly handled allegations of student conduct involving student-athletes in Michigan State’s football and men's basketball programs." The NCAA's full letter to MSU is "not yet available." But while Thursday's announcement is a "step forward" for the MSU athletic department, it also "marks a notable about-face for the NCAA." The organization in '12 levied "unprecedented punishments upon Penn State" stemming from the "independent investigation into the university's handling of Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/30). Beekman said that the NCAA's letter clearing Izzo and Dantonio of any wrongdoing is "further evidence" of what he and those at MSU have "contended all along in regards to the coaches of the university's highest-profile teams" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/31).
CLEARING UP THE NARRATIVE: In Michigan, Graham Couch writes the NCAA did MSU "no favors in releasing its findings in a single letter on the same day." Among MSU's complaints against ESPN is that the net "opportunistically conflated two separate stories, piggybacking a suggestive and targeted shot" at Izzo, Dantonio and MSU athletics with the "largest sex abuse scandal in the history of American education." ESPN "lost credibility in arguing otherwise when it pinned the faces of Izzo and Dantonio with Nassar as the backdrop for a national television show." MSU in the court of public opinion has "never been able to separate these two situations." One of these situations "resulted in a conviction," while the other is "more sound in its supposition than its evidence." Couch: "There's a reason other news outlets haven't run with ESPN's angle" (LANSING STATE JOURNAL, 8/31).
NOT EVERYBODY IN FAVOR: In Michigan, Kyle Austin wrote the NCAA's decision to end its inquiry is "drawing criticism" from victims of Nassar. Former MSU gymnast Lindsey Lemke said that she "wanted to see" the NCAA "hold the school accountable for its response to reports of Nassar's abuse." Former gymnast Rachael Denhollander, the "first woman to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual assault, had similar criticism, suggesting on Twitter that the NCAA should 'revisit their own legislation'" if MSU's actions "didn't constitute a violation" (MLIVE.com, 8/30). USA TODAY's Dan Wolken writes under the header, "No Surprise NCAA Showed Weakness In Declining To Pursue Michigan State Over Larry Nassar" (USA TODAY, 8/31).
SPIRITED DEBATE: After the NCAA ruling on MSU came down, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit tweeted he "can't wait to watch, read, and listen to ALL the follow up stories from the same folks that had @MSU_Basketball and @MSU_Football Guilty Until Proven Innocent." Herbstreit: "Is that one reporter that followed Coach Izzo around at post game pressers gonna chase him down now?!?" The reporter Herbstreit referenced, ESPN's Nicole Noren, then responded with a quip seemingly directed at Ohio State, where Herbstreit played football. Noren: "Thanks Kirk. We also look forward to the follow-up stories we’re working on about holding education officials accountable in regards to reports of violence against women." Herbstreit later deleted the tweet and apologized for the "unnecessary dig at the reporters who worked hard on an important story."
