The Red Cedar Rowdies wave MSU flags in the air after a goal from the Spartans at DeMartin Stadium on Sept. 19, 2024. The Michigan State University Spartans defeated the University of Nebraska Huskers 4-1 during the Spartans' first home conference match of the year.
The Jeff Hosler era has ushered in unprecedented success for MSU's women’s soccer program.
On a remarkable start to the 2024 season, MSU's fourth year head coach has molded the No. 5 ranked Spartans into a national force. Through 10 games, the Spartans boast a 8-0-2 record — their best start since 2009.
MSU's winning momentum has not only brought a different energy about the team, but it's sparked a surge in fan support, creating a formidable home-field advantage at DeMartin Stadium.
Under Hosler, the program leads the Big Ten in both total and average attendance. The 3,180 fans in attendance for an August non-conference game against Arkansas was the ninth-highest figure for total attendance in the NCAA so far this season.
"Our performance has to drive the crowd and drive the energy," Hosler said Sept. 19 following a 4-1 MSU win over Nebraska. "DeMartin can be an incredible home-team advantage. Great crowds, great support."
The connection between the team’s on-field success and growing support from the "Red Cedar Rowdies" is undeniable.
“I think an atmosphere can make or break a game. We take pride in giving the team a home-field advantage,” said Abby Smith, zoology senior and four-year member of the Rowdies. “We get loud when we need to. We try to support the teams in whatever way we can.”
This season, the Spartans have outscored their opponents 27-6, reinforcing the notion that success on the pitch directly translates to packed stands — two hallmarks of Jeff Hosler’s tenure thus far at Michigan State. The impact of this success is felt among longtime fans like Andy Tacavella, who has attended MSU women's soccer games with his family for the past eight years.
“I love the changes," Tacavella said. "They went from getting a couple hundred people turning up to watch them, now I couldn’t even tell you the number. That’s for a reason. The Hosler effect, that’s what it is.”
In 2017, which saw the program's highest attendance figure in the final four years of previous head coach Tom Saxton’s tenure, 2,247 people watched MSU earn a 3-2 win over Iowa. Hosler’s side topped that number five times in his second season and another four times in the following two seasons. MSU's average attendance numbers across the the four seasons has doubled since Hosler’s first year, growing from 974 in 2021 to 1,988 per game in 2024.
Since Hosler's arrival, MSU has consistently produced positive results, achieving four consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins, a feat last accomplished a decade before Hosler’s tenure in 2011. The team has also captured two Big Ten regular season titles, made its first appearance in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament and continued to rack up goals at an impressive rate.
The statistics tell the story. In his first season, Hosler’s team averaged 1.44 goals per game, a figure that soared to over two in his second season and currently sits at 2.70, a stark contrast to the 0.83 goals per game in Saxton’s final season.
MSU fans are not the only people taking notice. Marcus Kelcher, a high-level youth coach who leads an ECNL program in Kansas City, MO, emphasized the importance of studying Hosler’s teams for learning about program development.
“If you enjoy the game, if you do this as a profession, you need to be a student of the game, and watching this team is an opportunity to watch one of the best teams in the country,” Kelcher said.
Player management is also a crucial part of the side’s success in recent years. Red Cedar Rowdy and civil engineering junior Colin Pearson credited Hosler’s recruitment and player development skills for the rise in attendance.
“Hosler has done an amazing job. . ." Pearson said. "I’ve been watching him for the last three years and have seen two Big Ten championships out of that. He just has a skill for recruiting good players, keeping good players and developing players in ways that are really unseen around the country.”
As MSU enjoys its best start to a season under Hosler, the team remains focused on achieving even greater success when fall turns to winter.
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“We had players that came back because we want to push for another championship, players who came back because we want to push for a bigger championship in November and December," Hosler said.
With their eyes set on new heights, the Spartans are not just playing for victories, but for a lasting legacy that could redefine the program for years to come.
