Magic Johnson may be the enduring face of Michigan State basketball. Mateen Cleaves came to represent its heart while leading the Spartans to the 2000 national championship. Gregory Kelser, however, personifies the soul of the program. Kelser collaborated with Johnson to lead MSU to its first NCAA title in 1979. Here he discusses his role in the Spartans' victory over Indiana State and Larry Bird and how that game triggered college basketball's surge of popularity that continues to this day. He also provides insight and opinion on the successes, failures, players, personalities, and coaches who came before and after him at Michigan State, including Jud Heathcote, Tom Izzo, Scott Skiles, and Steve Smith.

When African-American Quarterback Jimmy Raye enrolled at Michigan State University in 1964, he was much more than a student athlete: he was part of a groundbreaking movement that changed college football forever. The Michigan State team with a progressive head coach, a pioneer black quarterback, and the first fully integrated roster in college football is the subject of this engrossing new book by award-winning author Tom Shanahan.Michigan State was a world away from Raye's hometown of Fayetteville, N.C. -- both in miles and culture. In his junior season in 1966, Raye was Michigan State's first black starting quarterback and the first black quarterback from the South to win a national title. The story of Raye's journey, as well as those of his Spartan teammates and coach Duffy Daugherty, is told in Raye of Light: the first book to fully explain Duffy Daugherty's Underground Railroad and its impact on college football.

Most Michigan State Spartans fans have taken in a game or two at Spartan Stadium or Jack Breslin Student Events Center, have seen highlights of Magic Johnson, and have heard the story of the famous Game of the Century. But only real fans know the history of "the Walk," how many Zeke the Wonder Dogs there have been, the origins of Sparty, or all the lyrics to "MSU Shadows." 100 Things Michigan State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans of Michigan State football and men's basketball. Whether a die-hard booster from the days of Jumpin' Johnny Green or a new supporter of football coach Mark Dantonio, fans will value these essential pieces of Michigan State football and basketball knowledge and trivia, as well as all the must-do activities, that have been ranked from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for Spartan supporters to progress on their way to fan superstardom.

The fifth edition of Michigan: A History of the Great Lakes State presents an update of the best college-level survey of Michigan history, covering the pre-Columbian period to the present. Represents the best-selling survey history of Michigan Includes updates and enhancements reflecting the latest historic scholarship, along with the new chapter ‘Reinventing Michigan’ Expanded coverage includes the socio-economic impact of tribal casino gaming on Michigan’s Native American population; environmental, agricultural, and educational issues; recent developments in the Jimmy Hoffa mystery, and collegiate and professional sports Delivered in an accessible narrative style that is entertaining as well as informative, with ample illustrations, photos, and maps Now available in digital formats as well as print

Michigan State University's football history is overflowing with famous, interesting, and colorful figures. From Gideon "Charlie" Smith, who in 1913 became one of the nation's first black collegiate players, to George Webster, the "Greatest Spartan of All Time," to Morton Andersen, who still holds the Big Ten record for longest field goal-they are all Spartans. Earl Morrall, Bubba Smith, Lorenzo White... the list goes on. Added to this list of tremendous players are legendary coaches like the "Biggie" Munn and Duffy Dougherty. And who could forget the famous 10-10 tie with Notre Dame in 1966 or the Rose Bowl victory over Southern Cal in 1987? Spartan tradition is more than the coaches and players on the field, however, and Michigan State Football: They Are Spartans offers many rare images and long-forgotten anecdotes about how the program became a player on the national stage. The early days as a farm college team, the development into a football power as an independent, the successful struggle to join the Big Ten conference, and of course, the historic rivalry with a certain team from Ann Arbor are all recounted in the pages of this book.