Students in the Izzone cheer for the Spartans after a foul was called on Northwestern Jan. 11, 2015, during the game against Northwestern at Breslin Center. At halftime, the Spartans were tied with the Wildcats, 40-40. Erin Hampton/The State News
—With the 400th men’s basketball game at Breslin Center in the books, it would be easy to look ahead to the program's next milestone.
Head coach Tom Izzo should surpass 500 career wins next season, and we are probably more than half a decade away from the 500th men’s game at Breslin Center. While the future is intriguing, it’s important to appreciate what Breslin Center has meant to those who’ve grown up in it and those who’ve helped keep it up.
When filled to capacity, Breslin Center shelters just under 15,000 enthusiastic Spartan fans. The Izzone has established itself as one of the top student sections in the nation, and with two more levels, fans are practically on top of the players.
“Breslin Center is one of the top (arenas),” senior guard Travis Trice said. “When you put the Izzone in there and our fan base, this is one of the top venues to play.”
Trice said that he’s talked to visitors that have played there and they’ve given him the same response; Breslin Center is “crazy”.
Since Breslin Center opened in 1989, MSU’s home court advantage has been undeniable, winning 87 percent of their home games.
For junior forward Matt Costello, the arena was one of the selling points for his commitment.
“I remember coming here as a recruit, just like ‘man I can’t wait to play here’,” Costello said. “I remember the play - Nix got a fast break dunk and everybody went crazy. That’s the one thing I remember from my recruitment.
“The crowds into it the whole time. Michigan people are crazy about basketball, so it’s fun to play here all the time and it’s always filled.”
Over Trice’s four years at MSU, he’s played notable road games at hostile environments such as the McCarthey Athletic Center (Gonzaga), Kohl Center (Wisconsin), and Assembly Hall (Indiana). He’s played aboard an aircraft carrier in San Diego and at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but he still thinks Breslin is in a class of its own.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve got to play at some really nice venues and everybody always asks and I always say the Breslin’s there, definitely at the top,” Trice said. “We’re just lucky to be able to play here.”
For current college students, games like 2007’s upset of No. 1 Wisconsin and 2013’s 23-point blowout of No. 4 Michigan will stand out as a few of Breslin’s most memorable games.
For about a decade, the orange basketballs above each free throw line were staples of the court, but after MSU underwent a rebranding in 2010, the court changed to what we now see.
“There are some plans down the road here, some major things we may do,” Izzo said. “Trying to keep up with the times, and yet it's been a pretty good place to play, won a lot of games.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
