mark dantonio - MSU Alumni Association - Michigan State University

$100,000—most of which
it raises via memberships,
sales of merchandise, and
income generated from the
mascot program. “Also, we
receive financial support from
University Development and
the MSU Alumni Association,”
says Orlando. “We really appreciate
this.”
Orlando joined the SAF as
a freshman and has played a
role in its steady recent growth.
SAF recruits members at Academic
Orientation Programs
and also markets to parents of
new students. It costs $15, and
the benefits include discounts
at 31 stores frequented by
students, including area bookstores,
restaurants, and the like.
“It pays for itself right away,”
notes Brodowski.
SAF two signature programs
are the Izzone and the Sparty
mascot program.
“Everybody wants Sparty,”
notes Orlando. “Sparty does
tons of events—weddings, bar
mitzvahs, parades, anniversaries,
you name it. We are
happy to accommodate fans
and alums, especially in the
summer.”
SAF tour guide Ross Ramsey stands by the Library fountain
during a recent campus tour for prospective students.
The mascot program began
in 1989 and became an instant
hit. Since then the costume,
created by a company in
Georgia, has been refined to
allow for more movement and
animation. As a result, Sparty
has been able to project some
personality and is now the only
Big Ten mascot to have been
crowned national champion
by the Universal Cheerleading
Association. Sparty has won
many other awards and is often
featured in ESPN Sportscenter
commercials. As Kermit the
Frog announced on Spartan
Stadium’s Diamond Vision
during the Homecoming game,
“Sparty (is) the No. 1 mascot
in the country!”
Explains Brodowski, “Some
of the mascots we see are nothing
more than a person inside
a rug. They don’t do much.
Sparty is very animated. He
interacts with the crowd and
you think of him as a living,
breathing entity.”
A key component of the mascot
competition is a videotape
presentation. To view the current
one, where ESPN sportscaster
Lee Corso introduces
Sparty, visit www.msusaf..edu.
Alumni can request Sparty appearances
at the same web site,
or call the SAF office at 517-
355-4458.
The SAF also runs the spirit
sections for football, men’s
basketball and hockey. The
Izzone has garnered the most
national attention, especially
during MSU’s three-year Final
Four runs, although the Corner
Blitz has recently undergone
meteoric growth.
The Izzone began in 1995
as a small section of about
100 rabid fans, basically “Jud’s
Jungle” with a new name. But
the section has grown steadily
with Tom Izzo’s success—and,
according to Tom, helped take
MSU basketball’s home court
advantage to a new level.
Today’s Izzone is a gameimpacting,
loud and boisterous
bloc of around 2,200 fans, a
blinding agglomeration of jumping
white t-shirts occupying
most courtside seats in the lower
bowl and sprouting out into the
top rows of Breslin Center’s upper
level, the so-called “Ozone.”
SAF now requires students who
want the coveted courtside Izzone
seats to first be members of
the Ozone.
“Today’s Izzone is
a game-impacting,
loud and boisterous
bloc of . . . jumping
white t-shirts.”
“The Izzone has led the way
in the Big 10,” says Orlando.
“Look at the Orange Crush (Illinois),
the Hawk’s Nest (Iowa),
the Grateful Red (Wisconsin)
or the Maize Rage (Michigan)—they
were all organized
in response to the Izzone.”
One thing is sure—students
want to get into the Izzone.
Every year, they camp
out in mid-September at
Munn Field for the privilege
of signing up.
“It’s a lot of fun,” says Orlando.
“Last year 1,800 students
camped out. We have a
live band. This year Tom Izzo
camped out with us and all 13
team members came and met
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