MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio sits down to watch the Spartans play Jan. 5, 2015, during the game against Indiana at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Hoosiers, 70-50. Erin Hampton/The State News
On Thursday, MSU Athletics announced a $3 million donation given by Mark and Cindy Pentecost to upgrade men's basketball facilities, including the main offices and practice facilities.
Mark Pentecost, a former high school teacher, is the CEO of skin care and nutrition direct sale company It Works!. The couple are members of the Athletic Director’s Campaign Leadership Council, a group of more than 30 people involved in the Empower Extraordinary campaign.
“Growing up in the Lansing area, surrounded by generations of Spartans who bleed green, giving back to this storied basketball program came natural,” Mark Pentecost in a statement released by the university. “As a former coach, I am excited to see the impact this contribution will have on our student-athletes. We hope that this helps them continue to train and compete at the highest level.”
The donation will also be used to establish an endowment for future facility improvements.
“For many Spartans around the world, the men’s basketball program has been a source of pride and an engine of opportunity not only for the student-athletes in the program, but for the overall student experience on campus,” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said in a statement released by the university. “We are so grateful to Mark and Cindy Pentecost for their vision and commitment to help us give ‘Team MSU’ the opportunity for continued excellence.”
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