Michigan State Football: The History of Spartan Stadium
East Lansing, Mich. – With the Michigan State football program hosting its spring game back on April 24 and notably allowing non-family fans inside the stadium since the 2019 season, it's a good time as any to look back at the history of Spartan Stadium.
Entering the 98th season serving as the home to the Michigan State football program, Spartan Stadium opened its doors in 1923. The Spartans have 70 percent of games played at the stadium, according to msuspartans.com.
With a history of agriculture at Michigan State University, including the inclusion of agricultural in the name of the institution until the current name was adopted in 1964, it should be no surprise that Spartan Stadium is just one of four college football fields to win the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Field of the Year honors. The stadium won the honors in both 2005 and 2016.
The playing surface has flipped flopped between natural grass and turf. When the stadium initially opened in 1923 at its current location, it featured a natural grass playing surface. It remained that way until 1969, when artificial turf was installed on the field for the first time. The stadium returned to natural grass in 2002 after a 33-year absence.
The current playing surface is made up of a blend of nine varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass.
Spartan Stadium currently has a capacity of 75,005 fans. Since 2012, $50 million had been invested into the stadium to "enhance the gameday atmosphere."
It's also hosted outdoor hockey games at the venue, most notably on October 6, 2001, when Spartan Stadium made a then world-record crowd of 74,544 people in attendance for the Michigan State vs. Michigan outdoor hockey game.
With the Big Ten Conference remaining hopeful for fans to return this season, the 98-year-old structure is ready to host crowds bleeding green and white, as it was meant to be.
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