Michigan State Spartans Women's Soccer
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The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a
Spartan Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...
warrior named
Sparty Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations o ...
, and the school colors are green and white. The university participates in the NCAA's Division I and the
Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
for football. The Spartans participate as members of the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
in all varsity sports. Michigan State offers 11 varsity sports for men and 12 for women. MSU's
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team was consensus national champion in 1952, the (UPI) Coaches' national champion in 1965, and named national champion by different ratings groups in 1951, 1955, 1957, and 1966. They have also won the
Rose Bowl Rose Bowl or Rosebowl may refer to: * Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football game * Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California, site of the football game, and the home stadium of the UCLA Football team * Rose Bowl (cricket ground), West ...
in 1954, 1956, 1988 and 2014. Its
men's basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team won the NCAA National Championship in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
and
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. The MSU men's ice hockey team won national titles in
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
and
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
.
Alan Haller Alan Glenn Haller (born August 9, 1970) is an American college athletic administrator and former football player. He was previously the athletic director at Michigan State University, a position he held from September 2021 to May 2025. Haller's ...
, who played football for the Spartans, was named the athletic director on September 1, 2021. Haller was fired on May 1, 2025.


History

In 1925, the institution changed its name to ''Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science'', and, as an agricultural school, its teams were referred to as the Aggies. Looking to move beyond its agricultural roots, Michigan State held a contest to find a new nickname. They had decided to call the teams the "Michigan Staters". George S. Alderton, a local sports writer for the ''
Lansing State Journal The ''Lansing State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan, owned by Gannett. It is the sole daily newspaper published in Greater Lansing. History The paper was started as the ''Lansing Republican'' on April 28, 1855, ...
'' decided the name was too cumbersome and went through the entries to find a better and more heroic name. He decided on the "
Spartans Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern P ...
." With a heroic name, the "Spartans" quickly caught on as the teams' new nickname. They later changed the lyrics of the
Fight Song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand, these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...
to reflect the name change of the College and its sports teams. As the college grew, it looked to join a major collegiate conference. When the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
eliminated its football program after
1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
, and withdrew from the Western Conference (now the
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
) in 1946, Michigan State president John A. Hannah lobbied to take its place. Despite opposition from the University of Michigan, the Big Ten admitted M.S.C. on May 20, 1949. After joining the conference, head coach Clarence L. "Biggie" Munn led the 1953 Spartan football team to the
Rose Bowl Rose Bowl or Rosebowl may refer to: * Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football game * Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California, site of the football game, and the home stadium of the UCLA Football team * Rose Bowl (cricket ground), West ...
, beating
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
28–20. Two years later, successor coach Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty carried the 1955 team to a second
Rose Bowl Rose Bowl or Rosebowl may refer to: * Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football game * Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California, site of the football game, and the home stadium of the UCLA Football team * Rose Bowl (cricket ground), West ...
and again defeated
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
, 17–14.


Sports sponsored

Michigan State has 21
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I-A varsity teams: 10 varsity sports for men and 11 for women. They participate in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
except fencing, where until 1997, from the University founding, MSU featured fencing as a varsity sport. During that time, MSU was coached by the first American recognized as a master of fencing, Charles Schmitter, for 45 years, from 1939 to 1984. Upon his retirement, his student, Fred Freiheit, coached from 1984 until fencing was demoted from varsity status in 1997. The Michigan State University Fencing Club is a competing member of the Midwest Fencing Conference, which consists of sixteen (16) schools with varsity or club programs.


Baseball

Beginning play in 1884, the Spartans have made the
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team College World Series, Men's College World Series (MCWS) at Charles Schwa ...
5 times, advancing to the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
once, in 1954, with a third-place finish. The team has won 4
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
conference championships and 5
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's Division III (NCAA), Division III. There are nine ...
titles. The program has featured a number of notable players, including Hall of Famer Robin Roberts,
Tom Yewcic Thomas J. Yewcic (May 9, 1932 – October 21, 2020) was an American professional football quarterback and punter and Major League Baseball player. He attended Michigan State University. In football, he played from 1961 to 1966 with the Boston P ...
, the
College World Series Most Outstanding Player The Men's College World Series Most Outstanding Player is an award for the best individual performance during the NCAA Division I Men's College World Series (MCWS) in Omaha, Nebraska. The recipient of the award is announced at the completion of ...
of the 1954 College World Series, and several other players who'd advance to the major leagues, such as
Kirk Gibson Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager. Gibson spent most of his career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers, but also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansa ...
,
Dick Radatz Richard Raymond Radatz (April 2, 1937 – March 16, 2005) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Monster", the , right-hander had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox in the ...
,
Ron Perranoski Ronald Peter Perranoski (April 1, 1936 – October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher from to , most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodg ...
,
Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional Major League Baseball player who played first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. Garvey began his major league career wit ...
, Rick Miller, and
Mark Mulder Mark Alan Mulder (born August 5, 1977) is an American former professional baseball player. A left-handed starting pitcher, Mulder pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. He is a two-time All-Sta ...
. Six Spartans have been named First Team All-American by the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
- Tom Yewcic, C, 1954; Rob Ellis, OF, 1971;
Ron Pruitt Ronald Ralph Pruitt (born October 21, 1951) is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers (1975), Cleveland Indians (1976–80 and 1981), Chicago White Sox (1980) a ...
, C, 1972; Al Weston, OF, 1977; Kirk Gibson, OF, 1978; and Bob Malek, OF, 2002.


Basketball


Men's basketball

Michigan State's men's basketball team has won the
National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
two times: in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
and
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. In
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, along with
Greg Kelser Gregory Kelser (born September 17, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and current television color commentator. Nicknamed "Special K", Kelser was a key member of the 1979 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans and spent s ...
,
Jay Vincent Jay Fletcher Vincent (born June 10, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Vincent was selected 24th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1981 NBA draft. He pl ...
and Mike Brkovich, carried the MSU team to a 75–64 win against the
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
-led
Indiana State Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified ...
Sycamores. In
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, three players from
Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...
,
Morris Peterson Morris Russell Peterson Jr. (born August 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans, earning Bi ...
, Charlie Bell and
Mateen Cleaves Mateen Ahmad Cleaves (born September 7, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played parts of six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player for Michigan State, where he le ...
, carried the team to its second national title. Dubbed the "
Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the Rubbles. It was ...
", they were the key to the Spartans' win against
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
89–76. In addition to the two Championships, the 2008–09 team reached the
NCAA Championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
game, but lost to
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
89–72. Since 1995, Michigan State has been coached by
Tom Izzo Thomas Michael Izzo (, ; born January 30, 1955) is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Izzo has le ...
, who has a 606–231 record through April 5, 2019. Izzo's coaching helped the team make six of twelve NCAA
Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
s from 1999 to 2010, winning the title in 2000 and leading ESPN to define MSU as the best team in that decade. Michigan State basketball has been selected for 22 consecutive NCAA tournament bids under Izzo. The Spartans have won one NCAA Championship, nine Big Ten Regular Season Championships, and six
Big Ten tournament Big Ten Tournament can refer to any Big Ten Conference sport that has a tournament or championship game: * Big Ten Football Championship Game * Big Ten men's basketball tournament * Big Ten women's basketball tournament * Big Ten baseball tournamen ...
championships (the most of any team in the Big Ten) under Izzo. The team has made two NCAA Championship games and advanced to eight Final Fours, 10 Elite Eights, and 14 Sweet Sixteens under Izzo. Overall, Michigan State has won two NCAA Championships, 15 Big Ten Regular Season Championships, and six Big Ten tournament Championships. The Spartans have appeared in three NCAA Championship games, 10 Final Fours, 14 Elite Eights, 20 Sweet Sixteens, and made 30 NCAA Tournament appearances. Spartans formerly or currently in the NBA include
Adreian Payne Adreian DeAngleo Payne (February 19, 1991 – May 9, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic as well as for se ...
,
Deyonta Davis Deyonta Davis (born December 2, 1996) is an American professional basketball player. He won the Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 2015 and appeared in the McDonald's All-American Boys Game the same year. He played one season of college basketball ...
,
Bryn Forbes Bryn Jerrel Forbes (born July 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Cleveland State and Michigan Sta ...
,
Denzel Valentine Denzel Robert Valentine (born November 16, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. As a senior, Valentin ...
,
Maurice Ager Maurice Darnell Ager (born February 9, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans from 2002 until 2006. Ager led the Spartans to the NCAA Final Four as a junior in 200 ...
, Alan Anderson, Charlie Bell,
Shannon Brown Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball for Michigan State ...
,
Mateen Cleaves Mateen Ahmad Cleaves (born September 7, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played parts of six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player for Michigan State, where he le ...
, Paul Davis,
Terry Furlow Terry L. Furlow (October 18, 1954 – May 23, 1980) was an American basketball player. Amateur career Furlow was a 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) shooting guard from Flint, Michigan who played high school basketball at Flint Northern High School. Wit ...
,
Jamie Feick Jamie Feick (born July 3, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. A center from Michigan State University, Feick played in the NBA from 1996 to 2001. He played for the Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks an ...
,
Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the Power forward (basketball), power forward pos ...
,
Johnny Green John Waldo Green (October 10, 1908 – May 15, 1989) was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, conductor and pianist. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his ear ...
,
Gary Harris Gary Harris (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. High school ca ...
, Earvin "Magic" Johnson,
Greg Kelser Gregory Kelser (born September 17, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and current television color commentator. Nicknamed "Special K", Kelser was a key member of the 1979 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans and spent s ...
,
Mike Peplowski Michael Walter Peplowski (born October 15, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round (52nd pick overall) of the 1993 NBA draft. A 6'10" and 270 lb center, Peplows ...
,
Morris Peterson Morris Russell Peterson Jr. (born August 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans, earning Bi ...
,
Zach Randolph Zachary McKenley Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball, Michigan State Spartans bef ...
,
Shawn Respert Shawn Christopher Respert (born February 6, 1972) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He attended Bishop Borgess High School, and he came to prominence while playing college basketball at Michigan State. He played pro ...
,
Jason Richardson Jason Anthoney Richardson Sr. (born January 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Richardson was taken by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall ...
,
Scott Skiles Scott Allen Skiles Sr. (born March 5, 1964) is an American former basketball coach and player. He coached the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic. A first-round draft pick out of Michigan State University, Skiles played ...
, Steve Smith,
Eric Snow Eric Snow (born April 24, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played the point guard position in the National Basketball Association from 1995 to 2008 and appeared in three NBA Finals. Known for his defense, ...
,
Sam Vincent James Samuel Vincent (born May 18, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He is the current coach of MBB of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Vincent was Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 1981, while playing with ...
,
Jay Vincent Jay Fletcher Vincent (born June 10, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Vincent was selected 24th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1981 NBA draft. He pl ...
, and
Kevin Willis Kevin Alvin Willis (born September 6, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player mostly known for playing with the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 7-foot power forward/ center. Excluding playe ...
.


Women's basketball

MSU also has a fairly successful women's basketball team, with its greatest accomplishment being a national runner-up finish to Baylor in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. MSU's women's basketball started in 1972–73 under coach Mikki Baile. The women's team has had five coaches in its history. The Spartans current coach is
Robyn Fralick Robyn Fralick (born January 29, 1982) is an American women's basketball coach who is the current head coach at Michigan State University. She previously coached at Ashland and Bowling Green universities and was director of operations at Western ...
. The Spartans have made one National Championship game, one Final Four, one Elite Eight, three Sweet Sixteens, and appeared in 15 NCAA/AIAW Tournaments.


Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
has a long tradition at Michigan State. Starting as a club sport in 1884, football gained varsity status in 1896. During that time, the Spartans had a roster of impressive players, including Lynn Chandnois, Dorne Dibble, Meredith Assaly, and Don McAulliffe. In 1951, the Spartans finished the season undefeated, and performed the same feat the following year in addition to the nation's longest winning streak of 24 games. The team was named the "undisputed national champions by every official poll". After waiting for several years, the team was finally admitted into the Big Ten Conference as a regular member in 1953. They promptly went on to capture the league championship (losing only one game during the season) and beating UCLA in their first
Rose Bowl game The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American college football bowl game, traditionally played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl (stadium), Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on ...
. After the 1953 season
Biggie Munn Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn (September 11, 1908 – March 18, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at Albright College (1935–1936), Syracuse University (1946), and m ...
, the legendary Spartan coach, turned the team over to his protégé and future legend
Duffy Daugherty Hugh Duffy Daugherty (September 8, 1915 – September 25, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, compiling a record of 109–69–5. His 1955 and 1957 and 1965 ...
. Daughtery went on to win the 1956 Rose Bowl. George Perles was the head coach when the Spartans defeated USC in the
1988 Rose Bowl The 1988 Rose Bowl was the 74th edition of the college football bowl game, played on January 1, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the USC Trojans 20–17 in a bowl rematch that was much closer than ...
. The current coach is Jonathan Smith, who was hired on November 25, 2023.His predecessor
Mel Tucker Melvin Gene Tucker II (born January 4, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Michigan State University from 2020 to 2023. Tucker was the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the Na ...
amassed a 20-14 record in his coaching tenure before being fired due to allegations retirement in September 2023. Under Mark Dantonio, MSU has won three Conference Championships,
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, and
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
. The Spartans have won three Big Ten Divisional championships and two Big Ten Championship games during that period. In 2015, MSU was selected for the
College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual single-elimination tournament, knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, D ...
as the No. 3 seed, but lost to
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in the Cotton Bowl. He also led the Spartans to a victory in the
2014 Rose Bowl The 2014 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 2014, at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. This 100th Rose Bowl Game matched Big Ten Conference Champions Michigan State Spartans against Pac-12 Con ...
, the 100th edition of the "Grandaddy of them all". All told, Michigan State has won six national championships and nine Big Ten championships. Today, the football team competes in Spartan Stadium, a renovated 75,005-person football stadium in the center of campus. MSU's traditional archrival is
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, against whom they compete for the
Paul Bunyan Trophy Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...
; MSU has a 29–41–2 record in the annual trophy game. The Spartans have lost the trophy five of the past eight years, as of the 2024 season. Michigan State's rivalry game against Notre Dame, with whom they compete for the Megaphone Trophy was played every year until 2013. MSU's record in the trophy series against the Fighting Irish is 27–33–1. Notable MSU alumni who have played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
include
Morten Andersen Morten Andersen (born 19 August 1960), nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-American former professional football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta F ...
,
Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was ...
,
Andre Rison Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Gree ...
,
Derrick Mason Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1 ...
,
Muhsin Muhammad Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played ...
,
T. J. Duckett Todd Jeffery Duckett (born February 17, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Duckett was selected by ...
,
Flozell Adams Flozell Justin Adams (born May 18, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was selected by the ...
,
Julian Peterson Julian Thomas Peterson (born July 28, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Peterson w ...
, Herb Haygood, Charles Rogers, Jim Miller,
Earl Morrall Earl Edwin Morrall (; May 17, 1934 – April 25, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He was the last remaining player from t ...
,
Wayne Fontes Wayne Howard Joseph Fontes (; born February 17, 1940) is an American former professional football player and coach. He was the head coach of the National Football League (NFL)'s Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1996. He is the longest tenured head co ...
,
Bubba Smith Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith (February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011) was an American professional football defensive end and actor. Smith played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers. ...
, Tony Banks,Tony Banks
. ''NFLPlayers.com''. Accessed April 28, 2007.
Percy Snow Percy Lee Snow (born November 5, 1967) is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans from 1986 to 1989. As a senior, he was a consensus All-American and won both the Butkus Aw ...
, Rob Fredrickson,
Jeff Smoker Jeff Smoker (born June 13, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football for the Mi ...
,
Tony Mandarich Ante Josip "Tony" Mandarich (born September 23, 1966) is a Canadian former professional American football player who was an offensive tackle for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Referred to as "the best offensive line prospe ...
,
Lorenzo White Lorenzo Maurice White (born July 12, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers (1988–1994) and Cleveland Browns (1995). He was voted to the Pro ...
,
Hank Bullough Henry Charles Bullough (January 24, 1934 – November 24, 2019) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Michigan State and graduated in 1954. Bullough was a starting guard for the Spartans team that won the 19 ...
,
Drew Stanton Drew Emeric Stanton (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft ...
,
Devin Thomas Devin Thomas (born November 15, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Michigan State Spartans, he was selected by the Washi ...
,
Tupe Peko Siitupe Marcus "Tupe" Peko, (born September 19, 1978) is a former American football offensive guard. Peko attended La Serna High School and first played at the collegiate level at Cerritos College before transferring to Michigan State Univers ...
,
Domata Peko Domata Uluaifaasau Peko Sr (born November 27, 1984) is an American-Samoan former professional football nose tackle. Peko was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Pago Pago, American Samoa. He played college football at Michigan State and was drafte ...
, Chris Morris,
Greg Montgomery Gregory Hugh Montgomery Jr. (October 29, 1964 – August 23, 2020) was an American professional football player who was an All-Pro punter for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Born in Morristown, New Jersey, and raised in S ...
,
Paul Edinger Paul Edinger (born January 17, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He played colleg ...
,
Javon Ringer Javon Eugene Ringer (born February 2, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, ea ...
, Chris L. Rucker, Chris Baker, Sedrick Irvin, Eric Smith, Greg Jones,
Brian Hoyer Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American professional American football, football quarterback. Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for eight different teams, the second-most in league hi ...
,
Garrett Celek Garrett Bartholomew Celek (born May 29, 1988) is a former American football tight end who played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State. Celek signed with ...
,
Jack Conklin Jonathan Jackson Conklin (born August 17, 1994) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Early life Conkli ...
, Shilique Calhoun,
Bennie Fowler Bennie Fowler III (born June 10, 1991) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for Michigan State and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Early life Fowler attended ...
, Will Gholston, Keith Mumphery,
Max Bullough Max Levi Bullough (born February 11, 1992) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the linebackers coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He played college football at Michigan State. He signed with the Houston Texans of the N ...
,
Donavon Clark Donavon Clark (born November 12, 1992) is an American former professional football offensive guard. He played college football at Michigan State. Professional career Clark was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round with the 224 ...
,
Joel Heath Joel Heath (born June 18, 1993) is an American former professional football defensive end who played for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) from 2016 to 2019. He was a three-year starter at Mount Healthy High School in Mo ...
,
Jeremy Langford Jeremy Langford (born December 6, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was selected by the Chicag ...
, Darqueze Dennard,
Dion Sims Dion Sims (born February 18, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was selected by the Miami Dolphins i ...
, Tony Lippett,
Lawrence Thomas Lawrence Thomas may refer to: * Lawrence Thomas (soccer) (born 1992), Australian footballer * Lawrence S. Thomas III, American brigadier general * Lawrence Thomas (American football) Lawrence Dikarri Thomas (born April 16, 1993) is a former Am ...
,
Kellen Davis Kellen M. Davis (born October 11, 1985) is an American former professional football tight end. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan State. College career Davis was ...
,
Trae Waynes Trae Waynes (born July 25, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings ...
,
Jerel Worthy Jerel Worthy (born April 26, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, earning consensus All-American h ...
,
Connor Cook Connor Cook (born January 29, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was their starting quarterback fr ...
, Aaron Burbridge,
Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...
,
Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Andrew Bell Sr. ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American Professional boxing, professional boxer and former American football, football running back. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan State ...
, and Kenneth Walker III.


Cross country

Historically, the Michigan State Cross Country men's team has been one of the school's most successful programs. Between World War I and World War II, Michigan State College competed in the Central Collegiate Conference, winning titles in 1926–1929, 1932, 1933 and 1935. Michigan State also experienced success in the
IC4A IC4A Championships (Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America) is an annual men's competition held at different colleges every year. Association was established in 1875, the competition (started in 1876) served as the top level coll ...
, at New York's
Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a urban park, park located in the borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Al ...
, winning 15 team titles (1933–1937, 1949, 1953, 1956–1960, 1962, 1963 and 1968). Since entering the Big Ten in 1950, Michigan State has won 14 men's titles (1951–1953, 1955–1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1970 and 1971). Michigan State hosted the inaugural NCAA cross country championships in 1938 and every year thereafter through 1964 (except a one-year vacation in 1943 due to war). The Spartans won eight NCAA championships from 1930 to 1959, including 1939, 1948, 1949, 1952, and 1955–1959 (minus 1957).Frimodig, L., & Stabley, F. (1971). Spartan Saga: A History of Michigan State Athletics. East Lansing: Michigan State University. Walt Drenth is the current director of both the men's and women's cross country and
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
programs. After joining MSU in 2004, Drenth led the men's cross country team to an NCAA Championship bid during the 2004 season. The women's cross country team also advanced to the NCAA Championship Meet after winning the Great Lakes Regional race.


Ice hockey

Michigan State has two varsity
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
teams: a men's
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team and a women's
field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...
team. Helen Knull is the head coach of the women's field hockey team. The men's
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team plays at the
Munn Ice Arena Clarence L. Munn Ice Arena is a 6,114-seat hockey-only arena in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University, situated across Chestnut Road from the Intramural Recreative Sports Center West and Spartan Stadium. It is home ...
. The head coach was Rick Comley, who had a 116–73–19 record at MSU. The current head coach is Adam Nightingale. In the 2013–2014 campaign, the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
debuted Division I
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
, (Michigan State formerly competed in the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...
with
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
sister schools
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
(U-M) and the
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
). On October 6, 2001, the team was involved in what was then the most-attended
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
game in history:
The Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. The Spartans set up a hockey rink in the middle of their football stadium, Spartan Stadium, and played U-M before a crowd of 74,554. The game ended in a 3–3 tie. A decade later, the same two teams were again involved in the most-attended ice hockey game in history. This time, Michigan hosted the rivalry game at its
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
.
The Big Chill at the Big House The Big Chill at the Big House (a.k.a. Cold War II) was an outdoor college ice hockey game played on December 11, 2010, at Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Wolverines men's team defeated its rival, the Mi ...
set the current record with an officially certified crowd of 104,173. The MSU ice hockey program has seven CCHA regular season championships, 11 CCHA Tournament titles, 1
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
regular season championship, and 1
Big Ten Tournament Big Ten Tournament can refer to any Big Ten Conference sport that has a tournament or championship game: * Big Ten Football Championship Game * Big Ten men's basketball tournament * Big Ten women's basketball tournament * Big Ten baseball tournamen ...
title. MSU has also won 11
Great Lakes Invitational The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, around the New Year's holiday. It was previously held in D ...
titles. The Spartans have been in the NCAA tournament 23 times, with nine
Frozen Four The annual NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is a college ice hockey tournament held in the United States by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the top men's team in Division I. Like other Division I cham ...
appearances and three national titles (1966,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
and
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
). On April 7, 2007, the Michigan State Spartans won their third Collegiate Championship by beating the
Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...
3–1. Former Michigan State players in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
include
Rod Brind'Amour Roderic Jean Brind'Amour (; born August 9, 1970) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, ninth overa ...
,
Anson Carter Anson Horace “Ace” Carter (born June 6, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eight teams from 1996 to 2007, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and ...
,
Duncan Keith Duncan Keith (born July 16, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers. He won three Stanley Cup championships with Chicago i ...
,
Donald McSween Donald Kennedy McSween (born June 9, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for two clubs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Playing career A defenseman known for his adept puc ...
,
Adam Hall Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators ...
,
John-Michael Liles John-Michael Liles (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. In additi ...
,
Torey Krug Torey Krug ( ; born April 12, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Krug previously played for the Boston Bruins from 2012 to 2020. Being undrafted, he played Nation ...
,
Shawn Horcoff Shawn Paul Horcoff (born September 17, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 99th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played 12 seasons and served as ...
, Justin Abdelkader, Jim Slater, brothers Kelly Miller and
Kip Miller Kip Charles Miller (born June 11, 1969) is an American former ice hockey forward. He last played for the American Hockey League Grand Rapids Griffins in 2006–07. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their 4th-round pick in the 1987 N ...
, as well as their cousins, brothers
Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
and
Drew Miller Drew Miller (born February 17, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Miller was drafted in the sixth round ...
. Two players for MSU have won the
Hobey Baker Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 44 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton Universit ...
:
Kip Miller Kip Charles Miller (born June 11, 1969) is an American former ice hockey forward. He last played for the American Hockey League Grand Rapids Griffins in 2006–07. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their 4th-round pick in the 1987 N ...
in 1990 and
Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
in 2001. Few other players also excelling in other leagues including forward Brock Radunske and defenseman
Brad Fast Bradley M. Fast (born February 21, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He spent his amateur career in the British Columbia Hockey League, and was selected in the third round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, 84th overall, by ...
.


Softball

The MSU women's fastpitch
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
team won the 1976
Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States and is held annually in Oklahoma City, OK. The event is held at Devon Park (stadium), Devon Park loca ...
to take the
AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was a college athletics organization in the United States, founded in 1971 to govern women's college competitions in the country and to administer national championships (see AIAW Cham ...
national title, the only team east of the Mississippi River to win the WCWS until Michigan did it in 2005. (
Carol Hutchins Carol Sue Hutchins (born May 26, 1957) is an American former softball coach. In 38 years as the head coach of Michigan Wolverines softball, (1985–2022), she won more games than any other coach in University of Michigan history in any sport, ma ...
played shortstop for that 1976 team, and would coach the Wolverines to the title 29 years later.) The team has appeared in six
Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States and is held annually in Oklahoma City, OK. The event is held at Devon Park (stadium), Devon Park loca ...
, in 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1981. Jacquie Joseph, coached the program from 1994 to 2022. Since taking over the program, Joseph has helped bring MSU to a record of 668–677–1 and four NCAA Regional appearances. The current head coach is Sharonda McDonald-Kelley


Wrestling

Wrestling was one of the earliest sports formed at the
Michigan Agricultural College Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
, being established in 1886. While the sport was dropped in 1906, it was reformed by the college 16 years later in 1922. The wrestling team competes on campus at
Jenison Field House Jenison Fieldhouse (alternately referred to in university publications as Jenison Field House) is a 10,004-seat, later reduced to 6,000-seat, multi-purpose arena in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena opened in 1940 and was named for alumnus Fre ...
, which has a capacity of 6,000 people. The Spartan
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
team were the NCAA Division I Team Champions in 1967. Its current coach head coach is Roger Chandler. Prior to Chandler becoming head coach, their head coach for 25 years was Tom Minkel who produced 33
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
s, 11 Big Ten Champions, and one NCAA Champion. Former Spartan Wrestlers who have gone on to become
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
fighters include
Bobby Nash Robert Nash (born March 26, 1990) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has formerly competed for the UFC,Bellator MMA, and RFA. Background Born and raised ...
,
Gray Maynard Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
, and
Rashad Evans Rashad Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight division. Evans started his professional MMA career in 2003, and was the Heavyw ...
. Evans is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and 2019 inductee into the
UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
. Starting in the mid-2000s, the Spartan wrestling team started to see declines in team success. From 2004 to 2018, the team had one season better than .500, going 7–6 in 2005. However the team would have wrestlers see individual success during this time, including four-time All-American
Nick Simmons Nicholas Adam Tweed-Simmons (born January 22, 1989) is an American comic book writer and reality television personality. The son of musician Gene Simmons, he is best known for starring in the A&E reality television series ''Gene Simmons Family ...
, and three-time All-American and 2009 NCAA Champion
Franklin Gómez Franklin Gómez Matos (born August 5, 1986) is a Dominican-born Puerto Rican freestyle wrestler. Early years and education Gómez was born in Puerto Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. His father, Eugenio Gómez, was a fisherman and h ...
. On the international circuit, Gómez was a 2011
World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
silver medalist and a three-time Olympian at the
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
. Michigan State University Spartan wrestling team accomplishments: * 1 NCAA Division I Wrestling Team Title (1967) * 8 Big Ten Conference Team Titles (1961, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972) * 68 individual Big Ten Conference Champions dating back to 1951 * 8 Top-ten team finishes at the NCAA Championships * 25 individual NCAA Champions dating back to 1936 * 100+ All-Americans dating back to 1931


Other varsity sports

MSU has a number of other team sports. As in many other
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
institutions, Michigan State has a
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
team for men and a
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
team for women. Jake Boss Jr. is
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
of the MSU
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
team. Former Michigan State players in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
include
Kirk Gibson Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager. Gibson spent most of his career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers, but also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansa ...
,
Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional Major League Baseball player who played first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. Garvey began his major league career wit ...
, Robin Roberts and
Mark Mulder Mark Alan Mulder (born August 5, 1977) is an American former professional baseball player. A left-handed starting pitcher, Mulder pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. He is a two-time All-Sta ...
. Since 2007, the baseball team plays a popular annual exhibition game against the nearby minor-league
Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Athletics (baseball), Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Fie ...
. The Spartans also have a men's soccer team, which won two national championships, in 1967 and 1968, sharing titles with Saint Louis and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
respectively. Michigan State soccer began play in 1956, defeating arch-rival
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
3-1 at
Old College Field Old College Field is an area on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The school broke ground in 1900 to provide a place for the varsity baseball team to play. Today, the area includes facilities for baseball, soc ...
in East Lansing in the program's first ever game as a varsity sport. The men's soccer team battles
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
annually in the Big Bear Trophy game, a series in which the Spartans lead against their in-state rival. Coaching the women's soccer team is Jeff Hosler. There is also a volleyball team; Leah Johnson is the current head coach of the women's
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
team since 2022. Cathy George was the previous head coach, holding the programs winningest record of 302-233. During her first year at Michigan State, George led her team to a 12–18 record, including a 5–15, ninth-place finish in the conference standings. George went on to lead the Spartans to 10 NCAA tournament appearances. There are a number of contact sports at MSU, including
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
and
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
. MSU's
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
team won national titles in 1951 and 1955, although it is no longer an NCAA varsity sport. Water sports at MSU include rowing. MSU's women's
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
coach is Stacey Rippetoe, who is in her first year as the Spartan crew coach. Former coach, Matt Weise, in his third year as MSU head coach, coached the Spartans to a program-best sixth-place team finish at the
NCAA Championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
. Matt Gianiodis was the head coach of both men and women's
swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...
and
diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...
. In his tenure as head coach, Spartan swimmers and divers have broken 14 varsity records. Other sports at MSU include
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
,
gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...
and
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
. Golf has had a long tradition at MSU. Hall of Fame Coach Bruce Fossum helped carry MSU to its first Big Ten title in 1969. The Big Ten title would elude the Spartans until 2005, when arguably, the best team ever assembled, took home the rings in stellar fashion. Not only did the Spartans win the Big Ten Championship in 2005, but they captured two other titles along the way and rose all the way to #5 in the U.S. Casey Lubahn coaches the men's
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
team. A former assistant coach at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
, this is his fourth year as a head coach. Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll coaches the women's team. In the last ten seasons, she has brought the Spartans to nine straight NCAA regional appearances. Spartan women golfers won individual collegiate national championships on two occasions: Joyce Kazmierski in 1966 and
Bonnie Lauer Bonnie Lauer (born February 20, 1951) is an American professional golfer, currently retired from the LPGA Tour. Lauer graduated cum laude in 1973 from Michigan State University, where she won the national individual intercollegiate golf champio ...
in 1973. The men's gymnastics team at MSU won one national title, which they shared with the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
in 1958. In 2001, the MSU
Board of Trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
disbanded the team in order to comply with
Title IX Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...
regulations. The women's team retained its varsity status. In 2008, the team ranked 17th in the nation in the final season standings, the highest placement in program history. Harry Jadun is the current coach of the men's tennis program. Gene Orlando was the coach of the men's tennis team. In his 26 years as MSU head coach, Orlando took the Spartan men to four NCAA Championships and had a team in 2016 reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament Doubles. Coaching the women's team is Kim Bruno, who is in her 4th season at the helm.


Notable non-varsity sports


Rugby

The Michigan State University Rugby Football Club was founded in 1964.The State News, MSU Rugby Club plans to advance to Division 1, increase recruitment, April 21, 2011, http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2011/04/msu_rugby_club_plans_to_advance_in_division_increase_recruitment Michigan State rugby has been steadily improving in
college rugby College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the auspices of ...
in recent years. During the 2010–11 season, the Spartans played in Division 2, finishing with a 10–3 record and qualifying for the playoffs. The Spartans' success led to them moving up to Division 1–AA for the 2011–12 season. For the 2012–13 season, the Spartans once again moved to a higher level of competition—the Big Ten Universities D1–A conference, against traditional
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
rivals such as the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
and
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
. The success of Spartan Rugby is greatly attributed to former head coach Dave Poquette, who had been coaching at Michigan State since 1992 and retired in 2013.


Water Polo

The Michigan State University Water Polo Club was founded and officially recognized November 17, 1967. At the time of its inception, the team played in the Midwest Collegiate Water Polo Association, along with Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Loyola, Drake, and Western Michigan. Now competing in the Big Ten division of the Collegiate Water Polo Association, Michigan State is joined by Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois, with Ohio State moving to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. After winning back-to-back Big Ten championships in 1993 and 1994, the Spartans would go the next half a decade without a Big Ten Championship. With another conference championship, the Spartans would go on to win their first national collegiate club championship in 2000. Michigan State would continue to enjoy much success in the 2000s, winning the Big Ten Championship in 2002 and from 2005 to 2010. This included an impressive four year stretch which included the Spartan's second and third national championships in 2006 and 2008, and runner-up finishes for the national title in 2005 and 2007, as well as a third-place finish in 2010. In 2014, the Spartans would stage a comeback in the final two minutes of regulation to upset Michigan in the Big Ten title game for their eleventh Big Ten Championship, and their seventh in ten years.


MSU Athletics Hall of Fame

In 1992, thirty former Spartan
athlete An athlete is most commonly a person who competes in one or more sports involving physical strength, speed, power, or endurance. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to sport of athletics competitors, i.e. including track ...
s,
coaches Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
, and administrators were inducted into the MSU Athletics
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
as its charter class. On October 1, 1999, the University opened its new Athletics Hall of Fame, in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center.


Awards

:''See footnote''


Academic All-Americans

:''See footnote''


Championships


NCAA team championships

Michigan State has won 20 NCAA national team titles. *Men's (19) **
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
(2): 1979, 2000 **
Boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
(2): 1951, 1955 ** Cross Country (8): 1939, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959 **
Gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...
(1): 1958 (co-champions) **
Ice Hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
(3): 1966, 1986, 2007 **
Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
(2): 1967 (co-champions), 1968 (co-champions) **
Wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
(1): 1967 *Women's (1) ** Cross Country (1): 2014 *See also: **
List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships Listed below are the colleges or universities with the most NCAA Division I (NCAA), Division I-sanctioned team championships, individual championships, and combined team and individual championships, as documented by information published on offi ...
** Big Ten Conference NCAA national team championships


Other national team championships

Below are 10 national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA. *Men's (4) **
Rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...
(3): 1914, 1916, 1917 *Women's (1) **
Softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
(1): 1976 *See also: ** List of Big Ten Conference National Championships **
List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships This is a list of U.S. universities and colleges that have won the most team sport national championships (more than 15) that have been bestowed for the highest level of collegiate athletic competition, be that at either the varsity or club level, ...


NCAA Division I Directors' Cup

:''See footnote'' ''See also:''
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) is a professional non-profit organization for college and university athletic directors in the United States. NACDA boasts a membership of more than 6,100 individuals and more tha ...
(NACDA).
''and
NACDA Directors' Cup The NACDA Directors' Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup or simply as the Directors' Cup, is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to the colleges an ...
''


See also

* List of college athletic programs in Michigan


References


External links

* {{Michigan Sports Sports in Lansing, Michigan College sports teams in Michigan