Michigan State football HC, Pat Fitzgerald, overlooks his teams practice habits during a practice at the MSU Duffy Daugherty practice fields in East Lansing, Mich., on Aug. 6, 2026.
Nearly two weeks into fall camp, the Michigan State University football team is beginning to look less like a newly assembled roster and more like a unified team.
MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald has made building a cohesive football team a priority since taking over, emphasizing the importance of players buying into a shared vision and developing trusting relationships with one another.
“The whole team is completely different than it was in spring ball,” Fitzgerald said at Monday’s media availability. “It’s a much more, I think, cohesive group. I think they’ve bonded together, and we’re starting to create a brotherhood.”
This brotherhood didn’t form overnight. It has been built gradually through the winter and spring and continued to grow throughout the summer.
Fitzgerald said the team started to develop its chemistry during winter workouts, when players began to get to know each other. Those relationships continued to flourish throughout spring ball, and now the Spartans hope that chemistry translates onto the field.
“I really think that started in earnest somewhere in the middle of winter workouts when the guys are really kind of like, ‘OK, I know who you are, I think,’” Fitzgerald said. “And then spring ball, it was like, ‘Yeah, we know who each other are.’ And then that carried over into the summer.”
Perhaps the most memorable part of this relationship-building process came during the seven nights the Spartans spent in Case Hall.
The Green and White took over the dorm directly across the street from MSU’s football facilities — a tradition emphasized by former coach Mark Dantonio.
And according to the players, they embraced it.
“Personally, I love it,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic said. “...We’ve done a great job throughout the year just getting to know each other, but this fall camp time in the dorms can really help us solidify relationships.”
For Milivojevic, the time spent together gave teammates an opportunity to build connections extending far beyond the gridiron.
These relationships could prove especially important for MSU in 2026, a team that has 32 incoming transfers joining its roster. With such significant roster turnover, Fitzgerald has focused on building trust and creating an environment where newcomers can quickly become part of the team.
But coming together does not mean competition is absent.
Fitzgerald has sought to construct a culture where players embrace their teammates while holding each other accountable. Players will battle for their roles, but they are expected to do so with the same goal in mind.
“The way our guys are treated, everybody that's coming in the program has been met with open arms, and they want to win,” Fitzgerald said. “Now, do they want somebody to come in and take their role? Well, then do something about it. Sorry, it's called meritocracy. Win the job, keep the job.”
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