Report Reveals Elite Financial Backing for MSU Hockey
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Michigan State is making sure that its hockey team has everything it needs to compete at an elite level.
On Tuesday, Matt Brown of Extra Points revealed the operating budgets for every Division I men's ice hockey team from public schools (the ones subject to the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA). MSU topped the list during both 2024 and 2025, spending more than $9 million each of those years.
Why MSU Tops the List
The Spartans are actually comfortably in first. Only Arizona State ($8.6 million spent in 2025) is within a million dollars of Michigan State's total last year. Brown described a big reason for that being that both MSU and ASU were "comfortably" spending north of $2 million on “Athletic Facilities Debt Service, Leases and Rental Fees," which is, according to Brown, an unusually high number.
Renovations to Munn Ice Arena, completed in 2022, might be a contributing factor to that specific number. That added a new entrance on the south side of the building, a new locker room, a video theater, a new weight room, a lounge, and expanded staff offices. MSU prices the cost of the renovations on its "For Sparta" website at $26.2 million.
Even though it might be artificially inflating the Spartans' official budget, that is still money largely dedicated to advancing the program's success.
The number still holds up as one of the biggest in the nation, either way. Even if you took $2.5 million off Michigan State's official 2025 number (to factor in "comfortably" above two million), it would still have the fourth-largest budget out there.
Nightingale's Deal
A chunk of the deal is also going to be the contract of Adam Nightingale. Michigan State currently has him on a deal that automatically extends itself every season on a rolling five-year deal, according to a copy of the deal obtained by Spartan Nation.
Nightingale's annual salary is up to $1.3 million, making him perhaps the highest-paid coach in college hockey. He gets a base salary of $700,000, an annual retention bonus of $300,000 every June 30 he's still at MSU, $150,000 for "marketing and media participation," another $75,000 under a "shoe, apparel, and equipment" clause, and another $75,000 for "university requested appearances."
Nightingale has proven that he's worth the expense. He's delivered a three-peat of Big Ten regular-season championships and two conference tournament titles.
The Frozen Four drought is still there, but the NCAA, for whatever reason, is still thinking a single-elimination tournament in hockey is a wise thing to go with, which makes it forgivable, especially with the other trophies he's earned. His next team could also have as many as nine NHL first-round picks, too.
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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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