Lacquer on the green and white.
Loosen up the vocal cords.
MSUs Department of Student Life and Athletics Department are hosting a pre-Final Four send-off rally at 5 p.m. today at the Breslin Student Events Center, where students can bid farewell to the mens basketball team as they depart for Minneapolis, Minn.
In the programs six years since Tom Izzo took over as head coach, MSU has put together some rather impressive credentials: four consecutive Big Ten titles, three straight trips to the Final Four and one NCAA National Championship - last years prize.
This weekend, the Spartan squad competes for its second-straight national title, which, if they win, will make them only the seventh team in NCAA history to accomplish such a task.
And as they prepare for Saturdays matchup with the Arizona Wildcats, team members say they have the fans to thank for another successful season.
Our fan support, it literally speaks for itself, assistant coach Mike Garland said Tuesday during a practice. Yeah, weve got a good team, but without their support, and the way they can lift our team and get us going and give us some energy, I dont think this program would be where it is or what it is.
The send-off is open to the public. Last year, before the squad left for the Final Four in Indianapolis, about 1,000 people piled into Jenison Field House to say good-bye to the Spartans.
And this year, MSUs Department of Student Life and the Athletics Department hope to see equal, if not more, fan support.
Its a good opportunity for students to support the team, said Jarrod Folsom, a co-director of the Izzone, the teams student fan section. A lot of people cant go to Minneapolis, so its a great way to get involved and show support for the team.
The hour-long rally is scheduled to feature appearances by Izzo, team members, Sparty, cheerleaders and members of the MSU band.
Those attending should use entrances at Gate A on the north side of Breslin and Gate B on the south side.
The excitement surrounding another title drive is clearly special to freshman guard Marcus Taylor, who says hell enjoy todays festivities.
Thats going to be nice, Taylor said after Tuesdays practice. It just shows that the whole university cares about the basketball program.
The seniors have built something here that cant be taken away. This is the third-straight time to the Final Four, so its something everybody wants to be a part of and its great support for us.