Under Mark Dantonio in the 2010s, Michigan State football returned to national prominence. In 2013, MSU went 13-1, 8-0 in conference, and won both the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl. The Spartans went to the College Football Playoff in 2015, becoming the first Big Ten team not named Ohio State to do so. In the mid 2010s, it was looking like State was getting back to what they were in the Duffy Daugherty era; almost. The idea of Michigan State football school was certainly a thing in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, once Dantonio left things went downhill, quickly, and now the Michigan State football program is mediocre at best.
With four losing seasons in the past five and three head coaching changes, Michigan State is a men’s basketball school once again. Spartans men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo is nicknamed “Mr. March” due to his NCAA Tournament/March Madness record of 56-25.
With eight Final Four appearances, only four coaches in the entire history of the game have more, according to an article in RG.org. And Izzo’s eight Final Fours places him first among both active NCAA coaches and for all-time in the Big Ten conference.
So while the hardwood continues to thrive in East Lansing, as has been the case for the past 30 years, the gridiron continues to suffer.
While the Mel Tucker hiring was a predictable disaster, no one thought that decision would be as devastating as it was for the program.
It’s going to take awhile to climb out of that hole. This was the first year, since records have been kept, going back to 2000, in which Michigan State had zero invites to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Northwestern joined them in this dubious distinction, and it is not something that happens too often for high-major programs.
It’s no surprise that zero former wearers of the green and white were selected in the first round last night.
Unless you count Derrick Harmon, who heard his name called out of the University of Oregon. Harmon went #21 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, after completing a dominant 2024 season for the Ducks. He played for Michigan St. from 2021-2023.
No Michigan State football players will get drafted tonight, in rounds two and three. There is a chance for the later rounds on Sunday, although if anything does happen, it won’t be until the final round.
Linebacker Cal Halladay and defensive lineman Khris Bogle both have UDFA grades, and could, possibly, slip in to the final round; maybe.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter