Izzone

Last updated March 02, 2023

The Izzone is the Michigan State University men's basketball team student section organized and run by the Athletic Marketing Department at Michigan State University. Named after head coach Tom Izzo, the Izzone consists of nearly 5,000 members, seated in both the lower and upper bowls of the Breslin Center.^[1] With close to 5,000 members cheering on the MSU Men's Basketball team, the Izzone helps give the Breslin Center an exciting and intimidating atmosphere, and a considerable home-court advantage.^[2]

History

The Izzone's roots can be found in the Spartan Spirits, a group formed by retired men's basketball coach Jud Heathcote. Spartan Spirits had a t-shirt theme each season. Among the most popular themes was Jud's Jungle, used in Heathcote's final season in 1994–95. When Tom Izzo became head coach, the Student Alumni Foundation(SAF) planned to keep the Spartan Spirits name, and the tradition of t-shirt themes would continue. In September 1995, SAF collected suggestions for a new t-shirt. John McPherson submitted the Izzone name, which was selected for the 1995–96 theme. The Izzone name was so popular it replaced the Spartan Spirits as the group's name. The Izzone only had 180 members in that first season. The Izzone has grown considerably since 1995–96, thanks to Coach Izzo's support. With a Big Ten championship in 1998 and 1999 and an NCAA championship in 2000, the team was quickly becoming more widely known and appreciated on campus, and therefore the Izzone expanded as well.^[3]

The inner working

The Izzone is run by a student leadership group working directly with members of Michigan State Athletic's Marketing Department. The directors set up the student sections before every game by placing a newspaper, a bag, and a cotton towel. The directors are also responsible for tracking the attendance of all Izzone members, scanning id's at the door, and planning other events, such as the Izzone campout.^[1]

Lower bowl eligibility

The Izzone is split into two sections, the upper bowl, and the lower bowl of the Breslin Center. The lower bowl is more desired by students because of its location closest to the basketball court. In order for a student to qualify for the lower bowl, they must meet the following criteria:^[1]

Students eligible to order student season basketball admission must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program at MSU's East Lansing campus for both Fall and Spring semesters. Lifelong education students do not qualify as students enrolled in a degree granting program. College of Education students working towards their teaching certificate are allowed a one-year grace period (provided they are enrolled full-time).^[1]
Students must have a high attendance record to the basketball games, arriving early to make check-in.^[1]
First time ticket holders are automatically put in the upper bowl, and are reviewed for the coming season for lower bowl.^[1]
Must attend the Izzone campout event, if not, must fill out an excuse form with proper documentation.^[1]

Members of the Izzone regularly research opponents and create "scouting reports" with information from the internet and other sources. Grade point averages, police records, and embarrassing nicknames are popular.^[4]

Izzone campout

Students must attend the annual September Izzone camp out if they want a chance of getting lower-bowl tickets. Returning lower-bowl members who have completed the camp out and missed two games or fewer the previous season are given first priority.

The Izzone witnessed a 53-home-game win streak, spanning from the end of the 1997–98 season until the middle of the 2001–2002 season. Michigan State lost March 1, 1998, 99–96 in overtime to Purdue. The next home loss was January 12, 2002, 64–63 to Wisconsin.

In 2006, it was ranked the fourth greatest college basketball student section by Sports Illustrated's SI on Campus magazine.^[5]

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "the Izzone". MSUSAF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
↑ Westerman, Scott. "Inside the Izzone" . Retrieved 11 April 2011.
↑ Greene, Alisha. "Izzone has grown, matured since 1995". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
↑ "In the IZZONE". Record Eagle. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
↑ Keller, Tom. "Best Student Sections". SI on Campus. February 22, 2006.

External links

Official website

Related Research Articles

Tom Izzo ; born January 30, 1955) is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote was an American basketball player and coach. He was a college basketball head coach for 24 seasons: five at the University of Montana (1971–1976) and nineteen at Michigan State University (1976–1995). Heathcote coached Magic Johnson during his two years at Michigan State, concluding with the 1979 national championship season. He also coached the University of Montana to a national handball championship in 1974.

The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Michigan State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Spartans have won two NCAA championships and 16 Big Ten Championships. Their home games are played at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Tom Izzo has been the head coach since 1995.

The 2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by head coach Tom Izzo who was in his 14th year as head coach. The team played their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan and were member of the Big Ten Conference. MSU finished the season 31–7, 15–3 in Big Ten play to win the Big Ten regular season championship by four games. They defeated Minnesota in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament before losing to Ohio State in the semifinals. The Spartans received their 12th-straight NCAA tournament bid, an at-large bid as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region. They defeated Robert Morris, USC, Kansas, and Louisville to advance to the Final Four for the fifth time under Izzo. In the Final Four, they defeated UConn to advance to the National Championship game where they lost to North Carolina.

Augustus George "Gus" Ganakas was an American sports broadcaster, athletics administrator, and coach of the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team.

The 1977–78 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as members of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan and were coached by second-year head coach, Jud Heathcote. MSU finished the season 25–5, 15–3 in Big Ten play to win the Big Ten Championship. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Providence and Western Kentucky before losing to Kentucky in the Mideast Regional Final. The team was led by freshman Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Gregory Kelser.

The 2006–07 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Tom Izzo who was in his 12th year. The team played their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU finished the season 23–12, 8–8 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for seventh place. The Spartans received their tenth consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the Second Round to North Carolina.

The 2011–12 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans' head coach was Tom Izzo, who was in his 17th year at Michigan State. The team played its home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, and were members of the Big Ten Conference. MSU finished with a record of 29–8, 13–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for first place. The Spartans also won the Big Ten tournament. The Spartans received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, their 15th consecutive trip to the Tournament, and reached the Sweet Sixteen, losing to Louisville.

The 1996–97 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. They were coached by second-year head coach, Tom Izzo, and were members of the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 17–12, 9–9 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place. MSU received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament for the second consecutive year where they defeated George Washington in the first round before losing to Florida State in the second round.

The 1994–95 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1994–95 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his 19th and final season at Michigan State. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 22–6, 14–4 in Big Ten play to finish in second place, one game behind Purdue. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Southeast region, where they were upset by 14th-seeded Weber State in the First Round. The game marked the final game Heathcote's coaching tenure at MSU. Longtime assistant coach Tom Izzo would take over the following year.

The 1992–93 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1992–93 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his 17th year at Michigan State. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 15–13, 7–11 in Big Ten play to finish in eighth place. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Oklahoma.

The 1989–90 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at newly-opened Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his 14th year at Michigan State. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 28–6, 15–3 to win the Big Ten championship by two games. As the No. 3-ranked team in the country, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Southeast region. In the First Round, they narrowly avoided becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose a No. 16 seed, beating Murray State in overtime. They then defeated UC Santa Barbara in the Second Round to earn a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, their first trip since 1986. There they lost in overtime to Georgia Tech.

The 1988–89 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his 13th year at Michigan State. This season marked the Spartans' final season of basketball at Jenison Fieldhouse before moving to their current venue, the Breslin Center, the following season. The Spartans finished the season 18–15, 6–12 in Big Ten play to finish in eighth place. Michigan State received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they beat Kent State, Wichita State, and Villanova to reach the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. In the semifinals, they lost to Saint Louis. In the third place game, they lost to UAB in overtime.

The 1983–84 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his eighth year at Michigan State. The Spartans finished with a record of 15–13, 8–10 to finish in a tie for fifth place in Big Ten play.

The 1979–80 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Michigan and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Jud Heathcote in his fourth year at Michigan State. The Spartans finished the season 12–15, 6–12 in Big Ten play to finish in ninth place in conference.

The 1975–76 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as members of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan and were coached by Gus Ganakas in his seventh and final year as head coach of the Spartans. MSU finished the season 14–13, 10–8 in Big Ten play to finish in fourth place.

The 2017–18 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 23rd-year head coach Tom Izzo, played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan as members of the Big Ten Conference.

The 2018–19 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans were led by 24th-year head coach Tom Izzo and played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan as members of the Big Ten Conference.

Dwayne Stephens is an American basketball coach who is currently the men's head coach for the Western Michigan Broncos. Previously, he was an assistant and associate head coach at Michigan State for 19 years.

The 2019–20 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans were led by 25th-year head coach Tom Izzo and play their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan as members of the Big Ten Conference.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[MSUSAF_program-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "the Izzone". MSUSAF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[Izzone_explained-2] Westerman, Scott. "Inside the Izzone" . Retrieved 11 April 2011.

[LSJ_-Izzone_Article-3] Greene, Alisha. "Izzone has grown, matured since 1995". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 11 April 2011.

[Scouting_Reports-4] "In the IZZONE". Record Eagle. Retrieved 11 April 2011.

[5] Keller, Tom. "Best Student Sections". SI on Campus. February 22, 2006.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
Venues	Armory (1899–1918) IM Circle (1918–1930) Demonstration Hall (1930–1940) Jenison Fieldhouse (1940–1989) Breslin Student Events Center (1989–present)
Rivalries	Michigan
Culture & lore	Basketbowl Champions Classic "The Flintstones" Izzone Michigan State University student riots
People	Statistical leaders
Seasons	1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23
NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics