Michigan State University is under investigation for alleged National Collegiate Athletic Association recruiting violations under former football coach Mel Tucker, President Kevin Guskiewicz told The Detroit News on Wednesday.

There are ongoing recruiting issues from a few years ago, Guskiewicz said when asked about an investigation during a meeting with The News’ editorial board. He did not indicate the level of seriousness of the purported violations.

“We’re trying to make the case that this is a whole new coaching staff,” said Guskiewicz, referring to Jonathan Smith, who was named MSU’s head football coach on Nov. 25, 2023.

The university hired Tucker as its 25th head football coach in February 2020 and fired him in September 2023, saying that he violated a “moral turpitude” clause in his 10-year, $95 million contract following a confidential complaint of sexual harassment filed against him by rape survivor and national activist Brenda Tracy.

Guskiewicz said he has a meeting next week on the NCAA issue, so he didn’t know “where it’s landing.” He declined to elaborate further.

Confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools prohibit the NCAA from commenting on current, pending or potential investigations, said Saquandra Heath, an NCAA spokesperson.

MSU board members could not be reached for comment.

MSU associate athletic director Matt Larson previously said the university “has cooperated with the NCAA.”

“Michigan State athletics has cooperated with the NCAA to review a potential matter concerning the football program under the former staff,” Larson said, “and will continue to do so for the duration of the process. NCAA rules do not permit the university to provide any additional details at this time.”Tucker had a tumultuous tenure at Michigan State with a 20-14 record, posting his most successful season in 2021, with an 11-2 record, before falling to 5-7 in 2022. Tracy filed a complaint in December 2022, accusing Tucker of making sexually inappropriate comments to her and masturbating without her consent during a late-night phone call in April 2022. The coach argued that the relationship and conversation were consensual.

A month after firing Tucker, an MSU investigation found that Tucker had sexually harassed Tracy while she worked with his football team. Tucker and his lawyers did not participate in the Oct. 5 virtual hearing but argued the resolution officer’s decision was “fraught with countless legal and factual errors.”

At the time of his firing, Tucker was less than two years into a historic contract that MSU granted to Tucker that made him one of the nation’s highest-paid football coaches and the highest-paid Black coach in all of American sports.

In July, Tucker sued MSU in federal court, claiming that school leaders turned him into a scapegoat amid scrutiny about the university’s poor handling of previous scandals, fueling his termination after a sexual harassment complaint without due process. MSU filed a motion to dismiss in December. A judge has not made any rulings.

Tracy filed a defamation lawsuit against Tucker in October 2024. An Ingham County court in March approved a request by Karen Truszkowski, Tracy’s attorney, for an order of alternate service after “several” attempts to serve him failed.