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Michigan, Michigan State ADs want ‘civility and respect’ at this weekend’s game

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Any battle between in-state rivals can get pretty crude on game day. It’s not uncommon for fans to throw around four-letter words or flashing a one-finger salute. Michigan-Michigan State is no different.

But athletic directors from both universities have sent out a message hoping to minimize that type of behavior this Saturday in Ann Arbor.

On Thursday, Michigan AD Warde Manuel and Michigan State AD Mark Hollis issued a statement, hoping that the schools “can show that civility and respect can be a hallmark of not only college sports but what we need to strive for in our society.”

The lengthy message urges fans to cheer for their respective teams but to respect one another before, during and after the game. Here’s the full statement:

Fans heckling and teasing each other is part of the fun of college football and sports in general. But Manuel and Hollis understand there is a fine line that shouldn’t be crossed.

They’re hoping to prevent that this weekend.

Saturday’s game will likely be an all-day event for both parties, as kickoff isn’t scheduled until 7:30 p.m. and will air on ABC. With both teams sitting at 1-0 in the B1G, there’s even more importance on this game.

Hopefully there aren’t many people that get out of line in Ann Arbor this weekend.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB