Michigan State AD issues statement on threats made against athletic events

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis issued a statement Friday regarding threatening letters received by both the university and East Lansing Police pertaining to university sporting events.

"The safety and well-being of everyone who attends Michigan State athletic events, including fans, student-athletes, coaches and workers, always has been and always will be our first priority. While these threats are general in nature, it's important to be cautious in every situation," Hollis writes.

"As the police said, we urge everyone to remain aware of their surroundings at all times, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately. I have great confidence in the MSU Police Department and we will continue to work closely with them and other law enforcement agencies in their investigations."

Michigan State University Police released an additional statement, stating that the letters received "do not provide specific information in regards to the event or manner of the threat."

"We got letters that were similar in nature," East Lansing police Lt. Chad Connelly told Matt Wenzel of Mlive.com on Friday. "I can't comment on if they were exactly the same or not. Obviously, it's an ongoing investigation, but we're currently looking into that."

Michigan State travels to take on in-state rival Michigan in a battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy on Saturday night.