On the banks of the Red Cedar, athletics are thriving. Men’s and women’s basketball, hockey and gymnastics all qualified to their respective NCAA tournaments — making Michigan State University the only school in the country with all four programs represented.
Tom Izzo is once again guiding a young squad through the NCAA Tournament after being overlooked in the preseason. Senior Jaden Akins is looking to make a final impact in his last year as the Spartans advance to the Sweet 16.
In year two of Robyn Fralick’s tenure, the women’s basketball team spent 14 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25, finishing fifth in the conference with a 22-10 overall record and 11-7 in conference play.
Led by Hobey Baker finalist Isaac Howard, the hockey team picked up right where it left off last year and even improved. In his first three seasons, head coach Adam Nightingale holds a 69-34-9 record, and the Spartans are ranked No. 1 in the nation. MSU will face Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 27 at 5:30 p.m.
MSU gymnastics has experienced a resurgence since 2020. Head coach Mike Rowe and his team are headed to NCAA Regionals for the fourth consecutive year, with Gabrielle Stephen and Nikki Smith leading the charge. The Spartans will face No. 9 Kentucky, Ohio State and Penn State in Regionals on April 3.
MSU is the only school to send all four sports to the postseason, and one of only two schools sending both men’s and women’s basketball along with hockey.
January, February, Izzo, right? It’s become a familiar phrase as MSU is back in the Sweet 16 for the 16th time under Izzo. The man who can seemingly jump 20 feet in the air, Coen Carr, led all scorers with 18 points in the Spartans’ first-round win over Bryant. MSU then followed up with a 71-63 win over a surging New Mexico team to survive and advance.
This Friday they’ll face Ole Miss on Friday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m.
The road to the Big Ten runs through MSU. This past week, the hockey team won its second consecutive Big Ten Championship and regular-season title. Fans got free hockey on Saturday night as the game went to two overtime periods against Ohio State. Isaac Howard, the "Ice Man," capped his four-point night with a game-winning goal, sparking a celebration at a packed Munn Ice Arena.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine saved 38 Buckeye shots, finishing the season with a .927 save percentage. Howard was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, alongside Matt Basgall and Augustine.
"Our guys have done a great job — they’re consistent, and we’ve played in a lot of different types of hockey games, some low scoring, some high scoring," Nightingale said. "It’s good to have those games in your back pocket. Every team we play this time of year is going to be good."
Gymnastics also wrapped up its Big Ten Tournament, finishing second with a score of 198.150, just .300 behind UCLA. Olympians Jordan Chiles and Brooklyn Moors each scored perfect 10s on floor.
Rowe is in his eighth year at the helm of the Spartans. Last season, MSU gymnastics set a program-high 29 wins. In 2025, the team is right where they were last year, dominating the Big Ten. Four Spartans made the All-Tournament Team: Sage Kellerman, Skyla Schulte, Gabrielle Stephen and Olivia Zsarmani.
"We’re really happy to be there with the highest seeding in program history," Rowe said. "Our mantra for this season has been 'it’s time.' So if there’s anyone who can win it all, it’s this group, and they’re still hungry for it."
Earlier this week, the women’s basketball team’s season ended after falling to No. 2 seed NC State 83-49. In the Spartans’ first-round matchup, they defeated Ivy League champion Harvard 64-50.
"A game isn’t our season, it doesn’t feel great to finish with a game like this, but there are things in our program that we feel really proud of," Fralick said. "I’m really proud of our collective season, our players and our seniors."
In her final season with the Spartans, Julia Ayrault averaged over 14 points and seven rebounds per game. Oregon transfer Grace Van Slooten led the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game.
As winter sports wrap up, spring sports are heating up. MSU baseball is off to its best start since 2016 at 16-7. The team was ranked for the first time since 2016 in February and is bouncing back from a tough season last year.
Head coach Jake Boss noted that the success of other programs on campus raises the expectations for his own team.
"It’s a great atmosphere around here right now. On the bus on the way back from Penn State we watched the men’s basketball game and our guys were pretty fired up," Boss said. "That adds to the expectation of upholding that kind of success."
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On the other side of campus, men’s tennis is ranked No. 32 in the ITA national poll at 10-6, while the women’s team is 10-7, 2-4 in the conference, after securing their first conference win in 2024.
In East Lansing, it feels great to be a Spartan. Nearly every team, whether in the postseason or just beginning their season, is poised for success.
