Some say Michigan fans have struck again, spray-painting several landmarks around the Michigan State campus.

But I say the classlessness and lack of mutual respect in the rivalry has struck again.

😳😳😳 So disrespectful. 😡😡😡 pic.twitter.com/zkraUAsfxu

— Alvin Ellis (@AEllisIII) October 15, 2015

@MikeWilson247 I agree. Here's a picture as well pic.twitter.com/ewqEkJBOc4

— Ryan Cole (@ryan_cole9) October 15, 2015

I’m tired of the vandalism in the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. It’s classless, childish, and costly. And before you Wolverines say “Hey, you Spartans do it too!” I know.

I hate it when State fans do this same thing to Michigan. I hate it when anyone defaces property. It’s a crime. Simple as that. Just stop it and let the game play itself out.

Somehow, people manage to support these criminal acts for the sake of rivalry:

Michigan state stop complaining about us painting the magic statue, you guys paint everything on our campus every year. All in good fun.

— Braylon Edwards (@OfficialBraylon) October 15, 2015

With names like "Magic" and "Sparty," you deserve to be vandalized. #GoBlue #Hail #UMvsMSU pic.twitter.com/dDhHg7SYpg

— Eric O'Polka (@Stickie_22) October 15, 2015

Fans — or former athletes, like Braylon Edwards — that cheer these acts should have to foot the bill for cleanup of the paint. And you can bet that’s not cheap. The Lansing State Journal reports that the cleanup is expected to take most of Thursday and expected to cost thousands of dollars, according to MSU spokesman Jason Cody. That’s no laughing matter.

Now, an entire fan base should not be generalized with the aforementioned people. Most Wolverines do not support these acts. Michigan alum and current ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter came out against the paint:

C'mon, man. Michigan should be better and above this. Embarrassing, not to mention illegal. https://t.co/PUionDxz5q

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2015

And you can be sure two of the most prominent Spartans on the planet, head basketball coach Tom Izzo and NBA champion Draymond Green, had some choice words about the disrespectful acts:

Tom Izzo unhappy with "idiots" who painted Magic statue, makes it clear it should be considered a couple fans, not U-M at large.

— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) October 15, 2015

Draymond Green on vandalism of Magic Johnson statue: "Is that what u resort to? You just keep painting on statues?..Stop wasting your time."

— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) October 15, 2015

But when will this really stop? These acts are always said to be “retaliation” because “the other school did it first.” On the other hand, this could very well be another silly “initiation” that we’ve come to expect from fraternities and sororities:

@VincentGrisa gotta love Greek life and their pledges

— Dan Lindenmuth (@dlindenmuth) October 15, 2015

But who will buck the trend? Which fan base will take the high ground and stop with the disrespect? Rivalries are supposed to be fun, with the occasional good-natured ribbing. But doing thousands of dollars of damage to the rival school’s artwork? That’s just too far. Rivalry pranks should instead be fun and not costly:

I wish rivalry pranks were more creative than vandalism. That would be awesome. Like a horse in Izzo's office. pic.twitter.com/UPjImZX0Le

— Gillian Van Stratt (@van_stratt) October 15, 2015

I’m a firm believer that the best rivalries in sports reside in the collegiate landscape. There’s not much that people identify with more than their alma mater. That’s what makes college rivalries so strong and passionate—and sometimes outrageous. I consider the top two rivalries in college athletics to be Auburn vs. Alabama and Ohio State vs. Michigan. These schools hate each other so much that they respect each other. Now, these rivalries are not always clean, either. But you won’t find petty, immature (not to mention yearly) acts of disrespect in these rivalries.

It’s time for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and their respective fan bases to bring an end to this game of “paint tag”. This should be a fun, good-hearted rivalry between two prestigious Big Ten universities, built on mutual respect for each other. Take the moral high ground and bring an end to the juvenile disrespect that has clouded this rivalry for decades.