In light of Saturday’s basketball game, let’s take a moment to appreciate the unforeseen success that came with yet another Final Four appearance.
In fact, let’s take a few moments to recognize this arguably could be the best time ever to be a student at MSU.
With an Elite Eight and Final Four appearance in the last two years, a Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl victory, and, quite possibly, the best football-basketball coaching duo in the nation, there has been a lot to cheer about for Spartan fans.
Of course, a combined 6-1 record since 2008 against U-M in football and three straight wins against them in basketball feels pretty good, too.
Very few schools around the nation can boast the accolades that MSU athletics have achieved within such a short amount of time.
Proof of this statement comes with statistics. After reaching the Sweet Sixteen again this year, MSU became the first school in history to win four consecutive bowl games and reach the Sweet Sixteen four years in a row.
MSU’s success doesn’t just stop at the major revenue sports either.
The MSU women’s cross country team won the 2014 NCAA championship, and the men’s soccer team made it to the Elite Eight in their NCAA tournament.
If there were any arguments to be made for a more glorious age of Spartan athletics, fingers would point to the ’50s, when MSU football won it all in ’51, ’52, ’53, ’55 and ’57 and made it to its first Final Four in basketball in ’57.
Time will tell if the Spartans of today can rival those accomplishments of the past, but things are definitely looking optimistic.
Obviously though, students don’t attend MSU solely for the sports. The academics haven’t been too shabby either.
It seems like every year the school is doing something bigger and better than the year before, continually advancing and establishing itself as a premiere university.
The rankings and recognitions page on the school’s website has a long, rolling list of achievements, many of them fairly unadvertised.
Whether it’s academic programs achieving high rankings or professors getting involved in cutting-edge research, there continues to be reason for students and alumni to be proud.
The fact is, current MSU students are in the midst of a “golden age,” so to speak. On a weekend we can watch our teams win big games, and when Monday arrives and we’re back in class, we know we’re working toward something special.
There comes a certain responsibility with all this excitement, to realize and appreciate what a great time it is to be immersed in the MSU community.
