East Lansing was filled with energy as fans of the Michigan State University Spartans and University of Michigan Wolverines counted down the hours until kickoff for their annual rivalry football game.
Students across campus were celebrating in their own way, including two walking down Grand River Avenue wearing hotdog costumes and carrying a sign reading, “JIM HARBAUGH HAS A TINY WIENER.”
Harbaugh, the football coach for U of M, has been a subject of persecution among MSU students for years but has come under fire recently after Big Ten notified MSU that U of M football would be in investigated for sign-stealing allegations.
Interior design senior Madison Cytlak, who was one of the students donning a hotdog costume, said she doesn’t have any hard feelings against the coach. Cytlak and her friend have been to the game dressed as hotdogs before, she said, and the sign is all in good fun.
“At the end of the day it’s just a game,” Cytlak said.
Cytlak said Michigan State is “probably (going to get) smoked” in the game, but she doesn’t want to hate on her team.
“We definitely had a rough start,” Cytlak said. “I just hope the boys can pull one out today.”
After MSU football coach Mel Tucker was fired, the team has been scoring low in a number of games.
Outside the MSU Sigma Pi Fraternity, Inc. on Grand River Avenue, over fifty students indulged in pre-game festivities with music, activities and drinks.
Kinesthesiology sophomore Eli North said he expects Michigan State to win the game “one hundred percent.”
“They’ve been down the past few weeks, but hey, I think they’re going to show up for the big game,” North said.
From what North has heard, Sigma Pi’s Michigan game parties can get pretty crazy.
“Just going to the game…it’s going to be a fun environment,” he said. “At least, I hope it is."
MSU Greencoat Security Team Member Elain Steffek said she is always "leery" of the "weird stuff" people do after football games.
Steffek works with Michigan State Police and Public Safety to help maintain order across campus during game days.
“MSU’s probably not going to win today,” Steffek said. “But if for some weird reason they did, you’d have to be looking for people lighting couches on fire.”
Steffek said MSUPD doesn't expect that much rowdiness from students after the game. Because they're not anticipating MSU winning, she said, they're not really prepared for that.
Steffek has been going to the annual rivalry game since attending MSU as a student in the 1980s, and works as a greencoat to make sure students stay out of harm’s way during sporting events.
“(Being a greencoat) is all about safety,” she said. “The safety of the community and the safety of the people attending the game.”
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For hospitality business senior Aislin Riccardelli, the annual rivalry game reminds her that MSU is her home.
Riccardelli was attending a friend’s tailgate party in the center of campus as nearby U of M fans gathered in front of a news outlet cameraman for a video.
As the video rolled and the fans yelled, “Go blue!”, Riccardelli jumped in front of the camera.
“Go green!” she yelled, pumping her fists in the air.
Riccardelli said she photobombed the U of M fans because they didn’t "belong" at her campus.
I just hate seeing them have fun, and I hate seeing them infiltrate our campus," Riccardelli said.
Riccardelli said she dislikes U of M fans because she doesn’t have a personal connection with anyone from the university.
“I’m an out-of-state student," she said. "I know a lot of people who have family who went to Michigan and are friends. I don’t have that. So I just hate them all so much.”
Riccardelli said this year’s game is special to her because it will be the one she'll experience as a student.
“I just want to have fun because I know it’s one of my last home games," Riccardelli said. "...Even if the results aren’t what I want."
