Tag: Michigan State Football

Michigan State football adds three future home games with Central Michigan

The Chippewas will visit Spartan Stadium in 2023, 2027, and 2030.

What could go wrong?

Michigan State football has announced three future home games with Central Michigan in the years 2023, 2027, and 2030.

The Spartans will host the Chippewas in Spartan Stadium to open the 2023 season on Sept. 2. In addition, the two schools announced future dates in 2027 (Sept. 11) and 2030 (Aug. 31).

MSU leads the all-time series against CMU, 8-3. The Spartans have won four straight against the Chippewas and won the last meeting between the two schools in 2018, 31-20, in Spartan Stadium. CMU’s most recent victory in the series came in 2009 at Spartan Stadium.

The Celebrate State Football Series, which featured ten games between MSU and the three FBS directional schools from 2011-19, has concluded. It was originally supposed to feature three games against each of Central, Western, and Eastern Michigan, with each school hosting the Spartans at home once. However, two of Eastern Michigan’s games, including MSU’s visit to Ypsilanti, were changed due to their being no guaranteed money for EMU going to East Lansing. The Spartans won in Mount Pleasant in 2012.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

Locked On Spartans Podcast: Racism in college sports, COVID’s impact on fans at games

Discussing the college athletes coming forward with allegations of racism within their programs.

[jwplayer DYUZYpdN-er0jUifI]

Wil and Matt talk about college athletes coming forward with allegations of racism in their programs and MSU AD Bill Beekman saying fans could be allowed at football games in a limited capacity.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=516986277]

Michigan State Football makes Top-10 for 2021 4-star TE Michael Trigg

Michigan State Football makes the top ten for 2021 4-star Tight End Michael Trigg out of Florida. Read more about this potential prospect.

[jwplayer PPs4Ox8k]

As we hit Summer, there are fewer offers coming from Michigan State Football. Instead, 2021 football prospects begin to craft and release their top choices for recruitment. Today, 2021 4-star TE Michael Trigg put Michigan State in his top 10 choices for college. He hails from Seffner, Florida, where currently plays for Seffner Christian Academy.

Trigg has the perfect frame for a tight end, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 208 pounds. According to 247Sports Composite Rankings, Trigg is the No. 5 TE in the entire 2021 recruiting class. Furthermore, he is the 23rd ranked prospect in all of Florida.

Other notable schools in Trigg’s top ten choices include Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, and Auburn.

Check out some of his highlights here.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

A guide to every MSU staff member or athlete’s comments on George Floyd and the BLM Protests

We have compiled a list of every Michigan State athlete who has spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country.

The tragic death of George Floyd in police custody has sparked a national debate and movement as protesters around the country have taken to the streets and to every platform available to speak out against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States. Unsurprisingly, the leaders in the Michigan State Athletic Department were quick to lend words of empathy, inspiration, and support for the movement that is perhaps the largest coordinated and longest-lasting civil rights demonstration in American history.

Below, we compiled a list and links to each of the statements made by members of the MSU Athletic Department on the Black Lives Matter protests we have seen these past two weeks.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Michigan State President Stanley: Football could return with limited fans

Stanley says there could be fans in the stands at Spartan Stadium this fall, although in a limited capacity.

Michigan State University President Samuel Stanley said this week that he could see a scenario in which college football returns this fall with limited fans in attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Stanley appeared on WKAR’s “MSU Today” show on Tuesday to talk about a number of topics, including the return of the school’s biggest money-making sport in the fall. “I think there are ways that this could be done,” he said. “It involves frequent testing of players, coaches and trainers to make sure they’re free of COVID-19 infection.

“It involves physical distancing and making sure anyone who comes on the field doesn’t show any evidence that they’re infected with the virus. If you get there, then I think you can play. Then the next question becomes whether we can have fans in the stands. We would be outside and that reduces risk. And we can spread people six feet apart. Managing the entering and exiting of the stadium is one of the most difficult things to handle. The critical thing will be for all of us to wear masks.”

Spreading fans out to maintain social distancing would of course limit capacity. Numbers ranging from 20 to 30 percent of Spartan Stadium’s 75,005-seat capacity have been bandied about as potential targets, including by athletic director Bill Beekman.

Athletes from football, basketball, and volleyball will be allowed to return to campus for voluntary workouts on June 15. They will undergo two rounds of COVID-19 testing, requiring two negative tests to begin working out.

Stanley also recently announce that students at Michigan State would be returning to campus for the fall semester before turning back to virtual classes after Thanksgiving break on Nov 23.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

MSU Football LB Antjuan Simmons named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

Michigan State senior LB has been named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

Antjuan Simmons is poised to be one of the top players on Michigan State’s roster this season and very likely will become a team captain (for reasons he displayed this week in his comments about the George Floyd protests). Others around the country are starting to take notice of MSU Football’s senior linebacker, as he was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List this week.

The award, named after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott, is awarded annually to a defensive player who embodies the spirit of IMPACT, which is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity.

Simmons has definitely shown us his character and his talent these past three years, and I look forward to seeing how he continues to develop both on and off the field.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

MSU Athletic Department meets at The Rock in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests

The entire Michigan State athletic department met at The Rock today to show support for the George Floyd protests.

For over a week now, we have seen protests flare across the nation as the country continues to mourn the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor while seeking justice and reform. The leadership of the Michigan State Athletic Department has been outspoken in their support for the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, and today, the entire Athletic Department, from Tom Izzo, to Mel Tucker, to Suzy Merchant, and many more, met at The Rock to show their support for the Black Lives Matter protests around the country.

You can see the photo they took together below:

They did note that while Black Lives Matter and the RIP George Floyd text was removed, the black fist was painted over with white paint…

If you want to read some of the comments MSU staff and athletes have made on the protests, here is a guide:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Locked On Spartans Podcast: MSU overrated, underrated, or properly rated

Overrated, underrated, properly rated MSU subject.

[jwplayer DYUZYpdN-er0jUifI]

Wil and Matt play a game of overrated, underrated, or properly rated with a variety of Michigan State subjects.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=516986277]

Michigan State Football makes top ten for 3-star safety Kaleb Edwards

MSU Football has landed in the top ten for the recruitment of Dacula, Georgia’s Kaleb Edwards.

Michigan State has managed to cast a wide net in football recruiting over the offseason despite some difficult circumstances, consistently dipping into the south to compete against major programs for top talents. The latest evidence of these efforts came on Monday when 2021 3-star safety Kaleb Edwards announced that MSU was in his current top ten for recruiting.

Edwards is the No. 46 ranked player in the state of Georgia according to 247Sports‘ composite rankings and the No. 43 ranked safety in the 2021 class. Edwards currently plays for Dacula High School.

Michigan State joins fellow Big Ten squads Iowa and Indiana in Edwards’ top ten. 247Sports currently has him projected to head to Notre Dame.

For those wondering about his height, he is 6’0″.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Michigan State LB Antjuan Simmons comments on tragic death of George Floyd

Michigan State senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons released a statement on the death of George Floyd.

For a full week, the country has mourned the death of George Floyd, in what is now being called a homicide. Protests have broken out around the country and different voices from Michigan State, including Mel Tucker, Suzy Merchant, and Tom Izzo, have all used their platform to speak out against Floyd’s death and police brutality in the United States. On Monday, Michigan State Football senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons provided some powerful words on the matter.

You can read his comments below:

Simmons is almost certainly going to be a captain for the Spartans during this upcoming football season, and with statements like this, it’s not hard to see why.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]