Community Letter from AD Alan Haller
Spartans,
Welcome to the 2024-25 athletic year! There’s something special about new beginnings, as every new season is filled with anticipation and hope. Last year was a highly successful year for Spartan Athletics, as our student-athletes captured six Big Ten titles in competition and posted an all-time department high cumulative GPA in the classroom, while our community filled the stands across all our venues. But in athletics, there’s no time to rest on your laurels, and the focus across the entire department is what’s next and striving to be our absolute best every day.
Our fall programs started practice in early August and women’s and men’s soccer have already officially begun competition. If you’re looking for proof that our programs are pushing forward, look no further than women’s soccer. Here’s a program that’s won two consecutive Big Ten titles, and continues to raise its standards. In the first official competition of 2024-25 for Spartan Athletics, women’s soccer won at No. 15 Notre Dame, marking the program’s first win over the Irish since 1989, and is now ranked in the Top 10 nationally.
This Friday, field hockey, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and football begin their 2024 season, chasing their own milestones of excellence.
Over the summer there were a lot of headlines regarding changes in college athletics. Our staff has been working through these for several months. As a department we understand that national changes require adjustments at the local level. There might be times when tough decisions are needed, but our commitment to providing a first-class student-athlete experience remains steadfast.
On the national level, I believe the change we are experiencing can serve to stabilize college athletics for a generation to come. Taking a more focused look at how this impacts Michigan State Athletics, we view change as a welcomed opportunity, recognizing that athletic departments who are willing and able to evolve will seize an advantage on the competition.
Change, however, will not alter who we are and what we do. Our core mission remains the same: Michigan State Athletics will continue to provide a transformative experience for our student-athletes while uniting our community to celebrate all things Green and White.
Michigan State Athletics has a proud tradition of excellence, and we look forward to celebrating our storied history throughout the year. Just looking at the fall, the number of milestones is incredible. This year marks the 85th anniversary of Michigan State’s first national championship, the 1939 men’s cross country team. It’s also the 75th and 65th anniversaries of cross country’s 1949 and 1959 national championships. The women’s cross country team will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its 2014 national championship squad – the most recent national title for our department.
September will bring a couple different celebrations to Spartan Stadium. On Sept. 13, we will hold our yearly induction for the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. What makes this year special is that we will induct our first ever teams into the Hall of Fame, recognizing the 1965 and 1966 football teams, which not only captured back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships, but also broke down racial barriers in college football with a truly integrated team, leading to a more diverse and inclusive sport nationally. Two weeks later, we will celebrate Mark Dantonio and his election to the College Football Hall of Fame, as his name goes up in the ring of honor at Spartan Stadium. Players from throughout his era will gather with the Spartan faithful to recognize a Coach whose impact goes far beyond the games he won and titles he captured. Through their on-field excellence, those Spartan teams created a lifetime of memories for our community.
Think about some of the best games or top plays from the Dantonio era: the Rose Bowl, the first Big Ten Championship Game victory, Little Giants, Rocket, and of course Trouble with the Snap. I’d imagine that not only can you vividly remember what happened on the field, but even more cemented in your mind are the friends, family, and fellow Spartans with whom you shared that moment. The same holds true with the 1965-66 Spartans. Maybe you weren’t watching on TV for the 10-10 tie with Notre Dame, but you likely can recall a family member telling you what it was like to watch The Game of the Century live and how rare that opportunity was at that time. Like a family heirloom, these moments and stories are passed down from generation to generation. These are shared moments that unite our community – moments that turn our community into our Spartan Family.
Our history sets the foundation for our present and our future. This Friday night, Coach Jonathan Smith will lead the Spartans out of the tunnel for the first time. I’ve been at practice throughout camp, and I’ve been particularly impressed by the team’s work ethic, togetherness and focus. While I can’t predict a record, I’m confident this team will represent Spartans everywhere in a way that makes us all proud.
Letter courtesy of MSU Athletics.
