1. Friday night MSU football is here to stay
The news last week that the Michigan State football team would be playing two Friday night games this season (neither of which are currently season openers) was met with a collective roar of discontent from Michigan State fans.
MSU plays at Oregon on Friday night, October 4th at 9pm ET, then at home against Purdue on Friday, November 22nd (the week before Thanksgiving). Kickoff will likely be at 8pm and in the frigid cold. Both games are part of Fox's national primetime Friday night college football season package.
There was some initial grumbling that playing Oregon State on the road six days after hosting Ohio State at home was a competitive disadvantage. That's true, but this may not be the season to worry about that. If this is Michigan State's season to win, I'll be yelling. But in Year 1 of a new setup, at 4-8 and with half the team replaced, a late-season Friday night game at home against Purdue six days after the Illinois game is more likely to have an impact on the Spartans' win-loss record.
But I feel this reaction is part of a larger sentiment that includes a chilly atmosphere toward change in the college sports world, a loss of control over football scheduling, and the abandonment of cherished norms (like playing on Saturdays), all of which is exacerbated by the diminished status of MSU football at the moment (which is a big reason the Spartans play two games on Fridays).
This feels like one more thing not to look forward to.
Fasten your seat belts. As Michigan State University athletic director Alan Haller recently said, “With the new television contracts, schools don't have as much flexibility as they did before. A lot of things are set in stone and dictate when, where and what time the games will be played.”
With revenue sharing with athletes on the horizon, these media rights deals are critical to maintaining strong athletic departments. Think of it this way: By following the instructions of ruthless TV executives and watching on Friday night instead of tailgating on Saturday, you're helping keep MSU's other sports alive.
Don't like it? I don't blame you.
more: Couch: Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller is undeterred by a difficult future and unfazed by a tough fall.
2. Moving to a rival team? You should get used to it and the player should get used to your reaction.
When former Michigan State defensive back Jaden Mangum jumped into the transfer portal at the last minute this spring and then announced he'd visit to Michigan shortly thereafter (he ultimately went there), Michigan State fans and former players took it personally. And one member of Mangum's family took the criticism personally, and a not-so-friendly exchange ensued on Twitter.
Here's the thing: The world of college sports is becoming more and more traded and transitional, and we're going to see more of this. Shortly after Mangum chose the Wolverines, linebacker Semaj Bridgeman, a transfer from Michigan, chose the Spartans.
The animosity toward Mangum stemmed not only from the fact that he had considered Michigan, but also that he was a starter and had said a month earlier that he was all for the Spartans and their new coaching staff. But his real crime was flirting with the Wolverines before ultimately choosing Michigan. Former Michigan State players Felton Davis III and Tony Lippett were vocal about their displeasure. Not surprisingly, fans were even more relentless.
This was seen as a betrayal in a world of college football built on passion and enthusiasm. The Michigan State fan community may be able to accept athletes doing what is ultimately best for them, but to any greenblood, transferring to Michigan is an act of treason.
It always makes me cringe when I see fans attack athletes, but what Mangum, and other athletes who cross those lines, need to understand is that their sport is built on such a strong sense of community, such dedication to their school, such intense rivalries. Without all of that, there would be no major college football, no NIL, no interest. The malice Mangum felt is what allows him and other major college athletes to get paid and live like kings on campus. The backlash is part of the paycheck.
3. Will “Died trying” be inscribed on Tom Izzo's grave?
In my 12 years covering the Michigan State basketball team, few words have been seared into fans' consciousness as much as what Tom Izzo said after the team's NCAA Tournament loss this March: “We're going to get back up there in this tournament, and if we don't, we're going to try until the day we die.”
This was a refreshing statement for those who have spent the past few years since the pandemic letting the world know that a Michigan State program regressing, finishing in the middle of the NCAA Tournament seeding and losing in the second round is something Coach Izzo cannot afford.
I also assumed this would mean he and his staff would add a player to the Spartans’ frontcourt in the transfer portal, as the center position was often a weakness for MSU last season.
But when the portal opened…no response. Coach Izzo and the team eventually acquired Frankie Fiedler, a transfer from Omaha, to add some needed size and oomph on the wing. But again, no response. Finally, in mid-May, two weeks after the portal closed, they acquired 7-foot Simon Zappala from lower-ranked Longwood. A useful addition, perhaps. Some needed depth. But was this really a test?
more: Couch: Three quick thoughts on Michigan State basketball's acquisition of transfer big man Simon Zappala
Here's where I am currently at on this:
Coach Izzo didn't shy away from a higher-rated, more expensive big man just to upset fans, that's for sure. He took this route to put together a team with Jackson Kohler, Carson Cooper and Xavier Booker. Especially Kohler. I think he's interested in the Kohler-Booker combo. There was interest last year, but Kohler's foot injury and Booker's slump meant we never got to see what was signaled in August and September. They really think there's something there.
I think Coach Izzo believes that retention and development is the best path to returning to championship contention, provided the team has players worthy of retention and development. He believes he can add to the roster accordingly. He believes he can maintain the culture he has worked so hard to build by not bringing in big-name players with $1 million-plus salaries. That move could lead to dissension and distrust with the rest of the roster.
In his heart, Izzo is working until he dies, but he's working in a way he won't regret. You and I don't have to agree with every action or lack of action, but that doesn't mean he won't keep his promises.
more: Couch: Six Michigan State head coaches are mothers: a life of 'controlled chaos'
Graham Couch can be reached at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Graham_Couch.
