3 Things Michigan State Fans Can Be Thankful For This Year
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Happy Thanksgiving, Spartan fans!
Not everything is perfect or necessarily great right now in East Lansing (looking at you, football), but there are still several different things that Michigan State fans should be thankful for this year. Here are three things you could say at the dinner table to maybe get some eye rolls from members of your extended family:
Tom Izzo's Culture, Program
It's easy to forget, since it's been this way for a few decades now, but Tom Izzo's program at MSU is truly uncommon. Coaches don't stay at the same spot for 31 years, generally. Among Division I schools, only Oakland's Greg Kampe has been at their current stop as the current coach longer.
Michigan State has made 27 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and will likely make it 28 this season. Izzo has guided the Spartans to eight Final Fours and a national title, as well.
There are not many teams that can just pencil themselves into the bracket every single year. Only three teams enter this season with active streaks of at least 10 years: MSU, Gonzaga (26), and Purdue (10). Technically, Kansas has made the last 35, but its 2018 appearance was vacated, making the Jayhawks' actual current streak just six.
MSU is now 6-0 this season and has a chance to get a third ranked victory on Thursday against No. 16 North Carolina on national television. Most programs do not get these types of opportunities, so appreciate Izzo while he's here.
Hockey's Resurgence w/ Nightingale
Michigan State hockey used to be... pretty bad. When the Big Ten started sponsoring hockey in the 2013-14 season, the Spartans started their time in the conference by finishing either dead last or second-to-last in eight of their first nine years there.
Then Adam Nightingale arrived. The first season ended in a fifth-place finish in the seven-team Big Ten, but just that was progress from years before. Year two began what could be a very nice era for MSU hockey fans.
The Spartans have now won back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. They're still looking for that Frozen Four bid and perhaps a national championship, but Nightingale's fourth team certainly has the talent and capability to do so.
Life in the Big Ten is as tough as any conference, though. MSU is currently ranked third in the nation, but is behind two conference foes: No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Wisconsin.
Rising Women's Basketball Program
Another program that deserves the fans' support is the women's basketball team. MSU is 6-0 and ranked 20th in the country at the moment.
This type of success isn't necessarily new to the women's program in East Lansing, but head coach Robyn Fralick is certainly on a path towards building a consistent NCAA Tournament team, just like Izzo has already. She's already taken Michigan State to the tourney in her first two seasons in 2023 and '24 --- the last time MSU had previously made consecutive tournaments was in 2016 and '17.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share what you're thankful for this year when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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