Despite the splashy announcements for each fundraising push, however, the athletics-oriented FOR SPARTA and its $1 billion goal is simply a component of the larger $4 billion campaign.

The campaign, including FOR SPARTA, has raised $1.78 billion since its unofficial beginning in 2022, University Spokesperson Amber McCann said in an interview Wednesday. MSU's most recent completed advancement capital campaign, launched in 2014 with a goal of $1.5 billion.  

The money raised through FOR SPARTA is intended to renovate much of MSU’s sporting facilities — including Spartan Stadium, Breslin Center, Munn Ice Arena and Jenison Fieldhouse, along with the baseball, softball and soccer facilities. 

Meanwhile, the funds from "Uncommon Will. Far Better World." will be used to finance scholarships, research, and technology improvements among other initiatives aimed at enhancing the university experience for students, according to a press release from the announcement.

The dual initiatives come in handy when working with donors who have specific preferences for how they want their dollars to be spent, McCann said.

Such was the case with Greg and Dawn Williams, who made a diverse $401 million commitment to the university at the end of 2025. The Williamses donated $290 million to athletics through FOR SPARTA and $11 million to a variety of academic and extracurricular programs.

University Advancement, which operates the capital campaign, houses employees stationed in colleges around campus as well as at a central branch and with the athletics department. 

McCann said having two segments of the campaign focused on different aspects of the university wouldn't lead to competition for dollars.

"MSU takes a coordinated, donor-centric approach to its fundraising efforts by first understanding interests of the donor and then aligning interest to strategic priorities of the institution," McCann wrote in a statement.

The fundraisers aren't the only way the university is looking for new sources of revenue. 

The university has created a non-profit entity, called Spartan Ventures, meant to maximize revenue generation and support Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL, deals for student athletes. The non-profit is also spinning off a subsidiary for-profit company, Spartan Media Ventures.

Details about Media Ventures have been scarce. The company received a $100 million investment from Greg and Dawn Williams as part of their $401 million commitment to MSU.

University officials have raised concerns about transparency regarding Media Ventures, which has yet to be officially established. Trustees Dennis Denno and Mike Balow told The Detroit News that documents relating to Media Ventures would only be given to them if they signed nondisclosure agreements, which they both refused.