The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and 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 12 varsity sports for men and 13 for women.
The university's athletic director is Mark Hollis, who was promoted to the position on January 1, 2008. Hollis replaced Ron Mason, who also served as head hockey coach from 1979 to 2002, retiring with a 608–261–64 record at MSU.
MSU's football team has won or shared six national championships in 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965 and 1966, 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.
Read more about Michigan State Spartans: History, Varsity Sports, MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, Awards, Academic All-Americans, Spartan Sports Almanac, Spartan Traditions, NCAA Division I: Director's Cup
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—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)