Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament journey hype video photo collage
Photos tell the story of a Michigan State basketball season marked with fire, grit and emotion. Go Green!
Nick King, Lansing State Journal
LANSING – Michigan State’s football and hockey teams are out of town this weekend, but you might not know it by driving by campus Friday afternoon and evening.
An unusual confluence of scheduling has packed a weekend’s worth of Spartan sports into one very busy Friday.
The annual “Madness” event that kicks off the men’s and women’s basketball seasons begins this year at 6 p.m. when the doors open at the Breslin Center, much earlier than the for-years traditional midnight start to what was once called Midnight Madness.
The clock will start earlier this year because the Spartan football team is on the road for a Big Ten matchup against new league member Oregon.
Here’s what you need to know about a very busy early fall Friday for Spartan athletics and students who are scrambling for Izzone seating with their annual overnight camping trip.
Basketball madness
The Breslin Center opens at 6 p.m., and the men’s and and women’s basketball teams, led by Hall of Famer Tom Izzo and Robyn Fralick, will put on scrimmages and greet students and fans.
The annual kickoff event is free and offers fans of all ages the chance to get autographs from players and coaches.
Action on the Breslin Center floor is slated from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Izzo earlier this week didn’t give any hints about how he and Fralick will make their typically notable entrances, although he said his years of rappelling from the rafters of the basketball arena are probably past him. He has appeared in the past as Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and a member of the iconic rock band Kiss. Fralick last year entered as Robin from the Batman movies.
The Izzone campout
The Izzone is again sold out for the 2024-25 season, but the Izzone campout, where student ticketholders camp overnight on Munn Field with Izzo, makes a difference for seating. Students earn points – which translate to better seats lower in the bowl – by attending the annual event.
The weather this year will be brisk, but dry for the annual event. Friday’s overnight low is forecast at 41 degrees, but rising into the low 70s Saturday.
RELATED: ‘We’re the sixth man’: Tom Izzo built MSU’s Izzone nearly 30 years ago. Now it’s part of his legacy
MSU vs. Oregon
MSU’s football team kicks off in Eugene, Oregon, at Autzen Stadium at 9:05 p.m. Eastern time, hoping to get its season back on track against the No. 6-ranked Ducks.
The game will be shown on the big screens at the Breslin Center after MSU Madness action wraps up, and admission remains free, although many fans who arrived for the basketball action are expected to stay for the game.
RELATED: Couch: Michigan State vs. Oregon has been a meaningful and important series in MSU football history
MSU hockey kicks off season
About 300 miles to the north, the No. 4 ranked Spartans kick off hockey season in Sault Ste. Marie against Lake Superior State.
The No. 4-ranked hockey team, the reigning Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions, have high expectations for this year.
The puck drops at 6 p.m. Friday, before a second game at 4 p.m. Saturday. Fans wanting to catch the action can hear Friday’s game on the radio at WVFN 730-AM and Saturday’s game on WJIM 1240-AM. The games will also be streamed on MidcoSports Plus/CCHA TV, which requires a subscription.
