Why Athletic Initiative Will Benefit Pat Fitzgerald Majorly
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The Michigan State Spartans are beginning a new era in their football program under newly appointed head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald takes the job after MSU fired Jonathan Smith on Sunday after two unsuccessful seasons in East Lansing. The Fitzgerald hire has received strong support from fans, alumni, and former players.
While Fitzgerald did not end his Northwestern tenure very successfully (7-29 in his last three full seasons), MSU believes it can provide him with the resources to succeed. Fitzgerald will recruit without academic restrictions, as he did at Northwestern.
Michigan State unveiled an athletic initiative on Tuesday morning called ‘FOR SPARTA,’ a billion-dollar, transformative process that will revitalize the athletic program. Reports are that Athletic Director J Batt has already raised $250 million for the project.
The initiative also includes monumental stadium upgrades that will enhance the Spartan football experience, which has excited fans who have not enjoyed attending Spartan Stadium in recent years.
Batt is serious about making MSU football respectable, and he has taken concrete steps towards raising the money to make that happen. Batt will also give Fitzgerald significant financial support for the football program.
With these investments in MSU football, it is hard to imagine Fitzgerald not having success in East Lansing.
Fitzgerald set up for success at Michigan State?
Fitzgerald is an energetic, charismatic coach. He is the type of leader the program has needed and did not get from Smith in his two seasons leading the program.
It is unknown whether he has what it takes to succeed in the modern age of college football, but he understands what is required of him as he takes the MSU job. He knows he must use the NIL funds provided to him and attack the transfer portal aggressively for short-term fixes.
He will have those resources at his fingertips, and with Batt making the Spartan football program look attractive with impressive optics and massive changes to the experience, selling recruits on being a Spartan should not be difficult.
We will learn what kind of recruiter Fitzgerald really is, as he was limited by Northwestern’s rigid academic standards. Fitzgerald will be free to recruit whichever players he feels are a good fit for his program.
For many players, setting themselves up financially is one of their biggest goals coming into college. Fitzgerald and the Spartans can give these players that.
MSU has not taken football seriously in recent seasons, resulting in 13 wins over three years. With an influx of money and a coach who may be an ace recruiter, things may be looking up for Spartan football sooner rather than later.
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