Izzone

The Izzone is the Michigan State University men's basketball team student section organized and run by the Association of Future Alumni at Michigan State University. Named after head coach Tom Izzo, the Izzone consists of nearly 4,000 members, seated in both the lower and upper bowls of the Breslin Center. With close to 4,000 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.

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.

The Izzone is run by directors at the Student Alumni Foundation. The Student Alumni Foundation is a branch of the Michigan State University Alumni Association. 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.

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:

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