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Team: Michigan State University Spartans
Sport: NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Big Ten
Claimed National Titles: 6
Conference Titles: 11
Notable Players: Brad Van Pelt, Charles Rogers, Bubba Smith, Ed Bagdon, Percy Snow, Darqueze Dennard, Connor Cook, Lorenzo White, Tony Mandarich, Greg Jones
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Known for its iconic Spartan helmets and its green and white colors, Michigan State has a long history that dates back to 1896, when the school was still called the Michigan Agricultural College. The team was originally a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association until 1907 when it left the league to become independent. Michigan State maintained its independent status throughout much of its early history until it finally joined the Big Ten in 1953, a year after winning back-to-back national championships with undefeated seasons under head coach Clarence Munn. Duffy Daugherty took over in 1954 and guided the team to four more claimed national championships, including a
Rose Bowl
win in 1955. The Spartans won the Rose Bowl again in 1987 under George Perles and in 2013 under Mark Dantonio. Legendary coach Nick Saban also briefly led the team between 1995 and 1999. Michigan State finished at No. 7 in the rankings in his final year. Fans of Michigan State football can watch their favorite team in person by purchasing tickets at StubHub.
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Michigan State has played at
Spartan Stadium
since 1923. The stadium was originally known as Macklin Field in honor of the former head coach between 1911 and 1915, but it was changed to Spartan Stadium in 1948. The stadium has a seating capacity of 75,000, which is up substantially from its original capacity of 14,000. Both standard seating and premium seating are available for purchase. Premium seating includes the Sideline Club, the Huntington Club and the Huntington Suites.
''Before the start of the game, fans can experience a wide variety of different pregame activities, including alumni clubs for graduates and a pregame band warmup on Adams Field. During the game itself, fans can enjoy performances by the Spartan Marching Band and the cheerleading squad.'
'The university allows tailgating to take place in all public parking areas around the campus. The lot opens at 7 a.m. for early afternoon games, 9 a.m. for 3:30 p.m. games and 1 p.m. for night games. Fans are expected to comply with all school tailgating guidelines.'
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Michigan State shares two major rivalries with the
University of Michigan
and
Notre Dame
. The Michigan State-Michigan game has been played almost every year since 1910 with a brief interlude during World War II. Starting in the 1950s, the winner of the game has received the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Moreover, the Michigan State-Notre Dame matchup has been played most years since the two teams first met in 1897. The two teams competed in a 1966 matchup known as “The Game of the Century,” which infamously ended in a 10–10 tie and split national championships after Notre Dame ran out the clock in the final series. Each year the winner of the game receives the Megaphone Trophy. Michigan State also competes with
Indiana
for the Old Brass Spittoon and with
Penn State
for the Land Grant Trophy.
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Michigan State opens up the 2019 season with a nonconference slate of
Tulsa
,
Western Michigan
and
Arizona State
at home. This is followed by a Big Ten schedule of
Northwestern
, Indiana,
Ohio State
,
Wisconsin
, Penn State,
Illinois
, Michigan,
Rutgers
and
Maryland
.
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