Dear Spartans,

This weekend, Spartans from all eras will return to East Lansing for Homecoming and rekindle their connection to all things MSU. It is a chance to continue long-standing traditions or an opportunity to create new ones. Being a Spartan is about being part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s about being part of a community – a community that is proud to represent and support the Greens and Whites.

Successes on the field

Mid-October is always an active time in athletics. Fall sports are in the second half of the season and many are starting to consider stretch running in addition to postseason opportunities. Winter sports are either underway or preparing to start the season. Our section is filled with stories of on-field excellence across the board.

There are currently four Spartan programs represented in the national polls, including No. 21 women’s soccer, which was ranked No. 1 nationally earlier this season for the first time in school history. The ranked teams also include No. 4 in ice hockey, No. 21 in women’s golf and No. 30 in women’s cross country, with men’s cross country just outside the top 30 and men’s golf in the national poll received votes. This number is sure to increase as rankings become available for more winter sports. Among other things, our gymnastics program could probably open the winter in the top 10. The team rankings for men’s tennis will be released in the winter, but the preseason individual rankings have Ozan Baris at No. 1 and Aristotelis Thanos at No. 72, with the doubles pairing of Baris/Thanos at No. 22 and Max Sheldon and Matthew Forbes at No. 54. Baris has just captured the individual crown at the ITA Men’s Midwest Regional Championships, becoming the first Spartan ever to win the title. In women’s and men’s golf, Brooke Biermann (#28) and Ashton McCulloch (#26) are among the top 30 golfers in the country in their respective sports.

Community engagement/support

Spartan Athletics is most successful when everyone works as a team. This fall has provided numerous examples of our Spartan community’s outstanding support of our programs, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Their support was shown at every home football game. Despite a weather-related delay in the season opener, your presence and enthusiasm were undeterred. We are particularly grateful for our student section, which is seeing a record number of students this season (in its current configuration). They showed up in large numbers week after week and enthusiastically supported our team.

Your support has followed our soccer team across the country. From games in Maryland and Boston College on the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest in Oregon, Spartan fans have shown up in large numbers to support the Green and White.

The Spartan passion extends to our other programs, particularly our men’s and women’s soccer teams, which have enjoyed crowds in the stands on several occasions. The highlight came a few weeks ago when a record-breaking crowd of 5,145 at DeMartin Stadium took advantage of every available seat to watch the Spartan women’s soccer team defeat Michigan 1-0. We are sold out seasonally at the Munn Ice Arena, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. But don’t worry if you want to watch Spartan hockey – every game day is standing room only.

Future budget update

I am incredibly grateful for the financial support many of you have given to Michigan State Athletics. Philanthropic donations to the Spartan Fund are currently higher than last year, and your donations are making a difference. Your continued commitment allows us to pursue championships and compete with the best, not just in the Big Ten but across the country. Our success is not possible without your support and will be even more important in the years to come.

As the House-NCAA class action lawsuit continues to move through the legal process and final approval is scheduled for early April, Spartan Athletics continues to plan what impact it will have on our department’s budget beginning in 2025-26. As the agreement is currently structured, athletic departments will be able to distribute $22 million to $23 million in revenue directly to student-athletes. Additionally, the NCAA will pay approximately $3 billion in damages to NCAA Division I student-athletes who played from 2016 to 2021. To cover these costs, Michigan State’s annual revenue share from the NCAA will be $1.5 million less over the next 10 years.

The pending agreement also includes changes related to roster management. Previously, the number of scholarships for each sport was limited. Scholarship restrictions have been lifted, but there will be a limit on the number of people on rosters for each NCAA sport beginning with fall sports in 2025. This could create additional financial opportunities for more Spartan student-athletes, provided institutions are able to make individual decisions about the number of scholarships for each sport.

While final numbers have yet to be determined, it is estimated that next year’s (2025-26) athletic department budget will include approximately $25-30 million in additional spending, considering the increased scholarship count, revenue sharing and a reduction in NCAA funding is taken into account.

I recognize that this will be a challenging time for college athletics, but I believe that with your support, Michigan State will continue to be a leader in the national landscape. President Kevin Guskiewicz and I are committed to ensuring that members of our generous alumni base are included as we move forward. As a department, we will continue to explore new opportunities to generate revenue and contain costs. However, there is no doubt that your continued generosity and commitment will be paramount to our pursuit of excellence.

Homecoming

For those returning to campus for Homecoming, we cannot wait to welcome you back to Michigan State. It’s very likely that you’ve noticed something new since your last visit to campus. As a university and athletic department, we continue to evolve while remaining true to our core values ​​and mission. We will continue to work to make you proud as Spartans, as we understand that your support is an integral part of our success.

No matter where your personal journey has taken you since leaving Michigan State, there is always a unique bond with your alma mater. Last weekend I was fortunate enough to witness Coach Izzo’s homecoming first hand as he took his team to his alma mater for a friendly against Northern Michigan.

Izzo is a Spartan for life, but you can tell he loves both NMU and the entire Upper Peninsula. I believe that the same affinity for our alma mater lives in many of us. That’s one of the reasons I returned to Michigan State after my NFL career ended – and it’s the reason many of you remain so committed to Michigan State. We too are Spartans For Life.