- 1896
- 1966
- 1979
- 1998
- 2000
- 2021
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Michigan College played its first varsity football game
In 1896: Michigan Agricultural College played its first varsity football game, a 10-0 victory over Lansing High School1. -
Spartans played in the “Game of the Century”
In 1966: The school played in the “Game of the Century” against Notre Dame, a 10-10 tie that was watched by 33 million viewers on TV. -
NCAA Basketball Champs 1979
MSU was led by star sophomore, Earvin “Magic” Johnson (16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game), senior Greg Kelser (18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game), and sophomore Jay Vincent (13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game). The Spartans started the season well, finishing the non-conference season with an 8–1 recorded including a loss to No. 13 ranked ... -
Tom Izzo as Spartans men’s basketball coach
In 1998: The school hired Tom Izzo as its men’s basketball coach, who has led the Spartans to eight Final Fours and one national championship in 2000. -
2000 Basketball NCAA Champions
The 2000 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 2000 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season. The National title game was played on April 3, 2000, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game matched No. 1-seeded Michigan State ... -
Michigan State’s upset win at No. 24 Miami
In 2021: Michigan State defeated Miami in an NCAA college football game. The way Michigan State won on Saturday stood out from the first two weeks. After jumping out to big leads early at Northwestern and at home against Youngstown State in comfortable wins, the Spartans had a 10-7 edge at halftime and were clinging to a seven-point lead late ...
History of the Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are one of the most storied and successful sports teams in NCAA history. With an impressive record that includes three national championships, two Big Ten titles, and numerous conference championship wins, it's no wonder why Spartan fans have so much to be proud of. The team has been a powerhouse since its inception in 1896 when it became the first college football team from a state university to join the Big Ten Conference.
Since then, they've continued to dominate on both sides of the ball with some remarkable accomplishments over their more than 120-year history, including winning three National Championships (1951–52 season; 1965–66 season; 2013–14 season), eight Big Ten Titles (1953; 1955; 1957-58 seasons), seven Rose Bowl appearances (1988 - 2014), four Cotton Bowl Classic victories(1965; 1966; 1974 & 1987 )and five bowl game wins overall. They also boast an impressive list of alumni who have gone on to play professionally or coach at other top programs across all levels, including former NFL head coaches John Fox and Nick Saban and current NBA player Draymond Green.
Additionally, Michigan State is known for producing highly talented athletes such as Magic Johnson, who led them to their 1979 NCAA Championship victory against Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores. Other notable Spartans include running back Le'Veon Bell, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, plus defensive backs Darqueze Dennard and Trae Waynes, among many others.
As you can see, there’s plenty for Spartan fans everywhere to celebrate this incredible program! So show your support by wearing green & white proudly whenever MSU takes center stage! Go Sparty!!
Spartans Products
College Sports Established
1896
Location
East Lansing, Michigan
College Name
Michigan State University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1907 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
1950 - Present / Big 10 Conference
1907 - 1950 / Indepentent
1888 - 1907 / Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Nickname
Spartans - The Michigan State Spartans are one of the country's most iconic college sports teams, and their nickname has a long history. The origins of this name can be traced back to 1925 when Michigan Agricultural College (now known as MSU) joined the Big Ten Conference. At that time, it was decided that all teams would have nicknames beginning with “M” or “S” for easy identification by fans and announcers alike.
After much debate among students and faculty members, it was agreed upon to call themselves the Spartans after an ancient Greek warrior society from Sparta who were renowned for their bravery in battle. This decision fits into what other schools had chosen and paid homage to those brave warriors from centuries ago, giving them a unique identity within NCAA athletics.
Since then, they have become synonymous with fierce competition on both sides of the ball—from basketball championships won by Magic Johnson's team in the 1979-80 season all way up through football games today, where you can still hear chants like "Go Green! Go White!" echoing through Spartan Stadium every Saturday afternoon during fall months—and even beyond collegiate sports circles too thanks largely due success achieved over the years by various professional players such as Draymond Green who played his college career there before becoming NBA All-Star member Golden States Warriors dynasty squads last decade plus more recently Joe Bachie being drafted NFL draft 2020.
Overall though, no matter how far away it may seem, the original roots behind why the school chose to use the word Spartan begin with will always remain the same: honor, courage strength which epitomizes the spirit the athletic program continues to represent in this day's age.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 2
2000, 1979
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 2
1968, 1967
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
