The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty. The school colors are green and white. The university participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big Ten Conference in all Varsity sports except ice hockey, which competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Michigan State offers 11 varsity sports for men and 12 for women.
The university's current Athletic Director is Ron Mason, who served as head hockey coach from 1979 to 2002, retiring with a 608-261-64 record at MSU. MSU's marching band plays the fight song at every university event, and both students and alumni sing along. Michigan State University is the only NCAA Division I Athletic program to have multiple National Championships in football, basketball, and hockey. Michigan State University was the first program to win multiple National Championships in both football and basketball.
MSU's football team has won or shared 6 national championships 1951,1952,1955,1957,1965 & 1966 (some listing organizations only recognize 1952,1965 & 1966 as there is much controversy over determining pre 1960 champions) and has won the Rose Bowl in 1954, 1956, and 1988. Its men's basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 1979 and 2000. The MSU men's ice hockey has won national titles in 1966, 1986, and 2007. MSU's golf team won the Big Ten Championship in 1969 and again in 2005.
The Michigan State Spartans football program competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State has won or shared a total of six national championships (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965 and 1966) and nine Big Ten championships. The team is known for placing some of the most talented players in the NFL, where currently 20 former Spartans are playing.
Today, the team competes in Spartan Stadium, a 75,005 person football stadium in the center of campus. Michigan State hired Mark Dantonio on November 27, 2006 as head coach. MSU's traditional archrival is the University of Michigan, against whom they compete for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan State is one of three Big Ten teams to have an annual non-conference football game against the University of Notre Dame. The Spartans also share a rivalry with Penn State with the game being the final game for both teams in the regular season.
