The real-life experience of a roaring crowd, green-and-white cheers, combined with displays of sheer athleticism are elements each fan looks forward to at the MSU men's basketball games.
However, when human nutrition junior Eric Shapiro was denied entrance into the MSU vs. Purdue game on Jan. 18 because he wasn't wearing the correct Izzone T-shirt, he was forced to go home and watch the excitement stuffed into a 20-inch TV screen.
As the season progresses, more and more Izzone members find themselves wondering what happened to the fun they once associated with the student section.
Shapiro has been part of the Izzone for two years and finds himself questioning the new policies implemented to improve the basketball fan section.
"I never had any say in the policy," he said. "I still like being down there; there are still great fans down there. It seems so much more formal, I want there to be more enjoyment."
Shapiro is not alone in his frustrations. After attending the first exhibition game of the season in November, the computer engineering junior Mauricio Gomes realized this year's Izzone would be different. He was unsatisfied with the new rules put into effect this season, so he decided to do something about it. Soon after the season began, his Web site, www.izzonesucks.com, was launched and Gomes' fight began.
"I started the Web site (in early November) after the first game," Gomes said. "I set up an online petition, so hopefully we can get the Izzone people to set up a meeting."
His protest deals mainly with the attendance policy implemented this year, among other changes made to the student fan section, such as expanding it to 4,000 members.
This season, when each Izzone ticket holder comes to the game, their ticket is scanned and recorded in an electronic attendance type system. In particular, the time of arrival and number of games missed are recorded for future consideration about Izzone membership.
"I don't think it is fair because there are people that have certain things going on at certain times," Gomes said.
"They can't come to the game one-and-a-half hours early. They shouldn't be punished and have their tickets taken away (in the future)."
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the petition had 99 signatures, and the Web site it is on had 466 hits - numbers that grow daily.
Gomes hopes to get 400 signatures to present to the Izzone directors. However, initially, when the site was launched, Gomes ran into trouble. According to Gomes, "a male from the Izzone staff" contacted the Internet Web server because the site contained a copyrighted logo, and they claimed the domain name of the Web site was also illegally used.
As a result, the Web site was shut down temporarily until Gomes was able to seek legal advice. While the logo was actually being used illegally, the domain name he created was OK, so the site was put back up with a new logo and the same name.
Izzone co-Director Mike Tierney said he has little time for people like Gomes or Shapiro.
"We do get a lot of people who come in and whine," Tierney said. "I don't have much time for these people who want to call themselves big Spartans fans. They need to re-examine and realize (they) are sitting there whining about having to wear a T-shirt."
Tierney thinks the student section is "going pretty good" and can be shown by the team's undefeated home record.
"Looking from the floor, you can look up and see people surround the whole court and standing at upper bowl," he said. "It definitely looks better. They can definitely be a factor."
Head coach Tom Izzo agrees, attributing some of the wins to the crowd.
"The rims are 10 feet everywhere; there is a reason there is a six, eight, 10-point difference. Ninety percent of the time, I don't think it is the rims or the beds at the hotel: It is the crowd, the enthusiasm, how they will get on you," Izzo said.
"My question is 'Can the home crowd win you a couple of games a year?' And I always felt that, at Michigan State over the last eight years, the home crowd has always been worth one or two wins."
The fans agree that the atmosphere can help carry the team to victory, but they think all the requirements and rules in the contracts take away from the fun.
Telecomunication information studies and media junior Laura Roby heard about the petition from www.allmsu.com, checked it out and signed it right away.
"It is harder, you have to go with friends if you want to sit with each other," Roby said. "It really has taken away a lot of the fun. We're students; we have more of a life than watching basketball games."
Roby said that she liked how students were finally coming together to voice some opinions.
"I really agreed with it," she said. "Izzo is getting egotistical to have every student camp out for tickets. It is more of an ego trip to say we have better students."
But MSU College of Law Professor Robert McCormick thinks that by purchasing tickets and signing a contract, there is a trade-off with the rules and expectations.
"It seems to me that the students in the Izzone get a particular benefit that other students don't get," he said.
"They get courtside seats in all these games, they get a definite benefit. As a result, they ought to be required to abide by rules."
For packaging senior Andrew Schout, the freedom to have a choice in the level of fan each person wishes to be has been eliminated with the changes.
"The fact is that the Izzone is a whole student section now - students don't have a choice. What if they don't want to be in the Izzone and now have to stand the whole game and wear what they are required to wear?" Schout said.
"I like the idea of having an Izzone in the upper bowl, but it is not for everyone. They need to have regular student tickets."
Schout thinks that a forum would be a good place to discuss the feelings of the Izzone members with the directors and athletic association. Associate Athletic Director Mark Hollis realizes there might be changes to be made in upcoming seasons.
"The initial goal of the change to have one student seating section is to provide students with equitable seating, but anything is up for review," Hollis said. "Like anything else, when you make change, there are things you will continually review."
Tierney hopes that people bring ideas to him because they continually strive to make the Izzone better.
"We aren't out there trying to be the bad guys. We want to help the basketball team anyway we can," Tierney said.
"We are going to do our best to get a system that works for everyone. We think the system we have right now is really good, but there is always room for tweaking."
