Michigan State football fans who missed tailgating and screaming your head off in Spartan Stadium, your time has come. Governor Whitmer addressed the media in a COVID briefing on Thursday and announced that she will be lifting all outdoor capacity limits, opening the door for outdoor sports to fill their stadiums.
MSU athletic director Bill Beekman responded to the news with a statement saying that Michigan State is preparing for full capacity at Spartan Stadium this fall.
The University also released a hype video welcoming back Spartans:
Fans will be allowed to attend Michigan State’s annual Spring Game next weekend.
Michigan State announced on Saturday that a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend next week’s Spring Game on April 24. In accordance with protocols and guidelines established by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan State will distribute approximately 6,000 free digital tickets for the game, with only the lower bowl seating being open. The Spartan Marching Band, and dance and cheer teams will also be in attendance for the event.
Everyone in attendance will be required to wear a face coverings, per Michigan State University policy.
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) April 17, 2021
“We’re looking forward to having our Spartan fans watch us live in Spartan Stadium,” Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said in a press release. “Our fans are hungry for football. We want to engage our fans and we understand that they are a vital part of our program. It’s a positive first step in connecting with our community and giving them a chance to see what our program is all about. To be able to take the field with the band playing ‘Victory for MSU’ and fans cheering will be a great way to complete spring practice.”
Tickets for this event will be handed out in the following ways:
Spartan Fund members in the top three donor levels will be able to claim up to four digital tickets starting on Tuesday, April 20.
General public will have the opportunity to claim up to four tickets starting on Wednesday, April 21 at 8 a.m. Those tickets will be distributed via msuspartans.com.
Michigan State students will have the opportunity to claim one of 500 tickets available starting on Wednesday as well.
According to the press release, the Spring Game will be a 10-15 period practice featuring individual and group drills, as well as live scrimmage periods.
Click here to see all of the fan attendance policies for next week’s Spring Game.
Michigan State’s Spring Game will also be televised on the Big Ten Network. The game begins at 2 p.m. EDT.
Michigan State is following suit of many professional sports teams by offering fans the opportunity to purchase fan cutouts for home games.
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As of right now, there will be no fans attending any games at Spartan Stadium this fall but that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the gameday festivities in a different fan-friendly way.
Michigan State is following suit of many professional sports teams by offering fans the opportunity to purchase fan cutouts for home football games at Spartan Stadium this year. According to MSU Athletics, there are three purchase options being offered:
$75 for sideline and endzone sections
$55 for season ticket holders
$50 for MSU students, Jr. Spartan Club members or your pet
Fans also will have the opportunity to receive their fan cutout in the mail after the season for an additional $25.
Fans can purchase their cutout by clicking here. Purchases must be completed before Oct. 17 to have your cutout in attendance for the season-opener on Oct. 24 against Rutgers.
Michigan State’s 2020 home schedule includes Rutgers (Oct. 24), Indiana (Nov. 14), Northwestern (Nov. 28) and Ohio State (Dec. 5).
Michigan State announces a hold on a number of facilities projects amid the coronavirus pandemic
Michigan State University is putting some facilities projects on hold in order to maintain their finances through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school announced on Monday that they will be saving $77 million by pausing, deferring or reconsidering capital projects on campus, including ones at Spartan Stadium and Munn Arena.
A $1.96 million northern lower bowl restoration at Spartan Stadium has been put on hold. At Munn Arena, a $23 million addition project has been placed on hold, as has a $2.5 million Hall of History upgrade. The Munn Arena addition is the most expensive project being put on hold. The pending replacement of the pool at IM West, A $15 million project, has also been put on hold.
A nearly $6 million alteration at the Skandalaris Football Office building is continuing on as planned.
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.
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.
If you’re a fan of college football or early 20th century architecture, come along for a nostalgic visit to these 32 legendary, on-campus stadiums across America. From the Big House in Ann Arbor to an intimate venue like Peden Field in Athens, Ohio, …
If you’re a fan of college football or early 20th century architecture, come along for a nostalgic visit to these 32 legendary, on-campus stadiums across America. From the Big House in Ann Arbor to an intimate venue like Peden Field in Athens, Ohio, these stadiums hark back to the Golden Age of American sports.
Put these oldest college stadiums on your bucket list, load up the SUV and catch a college game in one of these iconic venues.
32. Sanford Stadium, University of Georgia (1929)
Sanford Stadium — Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dedicated on October 12, 1929, when Georgia hosted Yale, Sanford Stadium is known for its numerous architecturally pleasing expansions that have been carefully planned to fit with its existing “look”. 92,746 watch games played “Between the Hedges”, the privet hedges surrounding the field. The sacred hedges were removed in 1996 to accommodate the Olympic soccer competition.
31. Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke University (1929)
Dedicated October 5, 1929, Wallace Wade seats 40,000. Originally named Duke Stadium, it was renamed in 1967 for football coach Wallace Wade. A just completed major renovation greatly modernized the stadium. The stadium was the site of the 1942 Rose Bowl, weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
30. Kinnick Stadium, University of Iowa (1929)
Formerly known as Iowa Stadium, Kinnick Stadium opened October 5, 1929. It currently holds 69,250 people. The stadium was renamed in 1972 for Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner, who died in service to his country in World War II.
29. Peden Stadium, Ohio University (1929)
Situated on the banks of the scenic Hocking River in Athens, Peden Stadium has been the home of the Bobcats since October 2, 1929. Today, it has a capacity of 24,000 and is the oldest football venue in the Mid-American Conference.
28. Kenan Stadium, University of North Carolina (1927)
Kenan Stadium opened on November 12, 1927. Built at a cost of $303,000 with a seating capacity of 24,000, the stadium today holds 51,000. Set among the pine trees of south campus, it is one of the most scenic stadiums in the South.
27. Kyle Field, Texas A&M University (1927)
Kyle Field has been home to the Aggies in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since October 24, 1927. “Home of the 12th Man,” it seats 102,733, largest in the SEC. In 2014, Kyle Field’s hosted the largest attended SEC and state of Texas football game, when 110,631 witnessed Texas A&M’s loss to Ole Miss.
26. Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan (1927)
Known as “The Big House”, Michigan Stadium was dedicated in October 1, 1927. It is the largest stadium in the United States and third largest in the world. Its official capacity is 107,601, but it has hosted crowds in excess of 115,000.
25. Ryan Field, Northwestern University (1926)
Home of the Wildcats since October 2, 1926, Ryan Field holds 47,130 people. Prior to 1997, the stadium was named Dyche Stadium, for William Dyche, Class of 1882. It was renamed in honor of the family of Patrick G. Ryan, in recognition of the family’s contributions to Northwestern.
24. Faurot Field At Memorial Stadium, University of Missouri (1926)
71,168 capacity Memorial Stadium opened October 2, 1926 as a 25,000-seat, single level, horseshoe stadium. The original horseshoe is completed by a grass berm, famous for the giant block “M” made of painted white stones behind the endzone. In 1972, the playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.
23. Nippert Stadium, University of Cincinnati (1924)
Home to the Bearcats in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since September 27, 1924, Nippert Stadium seats 40,000 fans.
22. Michie Stadium, US Military Academy (1924)
Michie Stadium, the home of the Army Black Knights, opened in 1924 and seats 38,000. Because of the view offered by its location overlooking the Hudson River and the medieval-style campus below, it is one of the nation’s most scenic sport venues.
21. Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, University of Texas (1924)
Memorial Stadium has been home to the Longhorns since November 27, 1924. The current capacity of 100,119 makes the stadium the second largest in the state of Texas, the largest in the Big 12, eighth largest stadium in the United States, and the 11th largest in the world.
