When you’re Sparty, you get to wear the boots at graduation. And that’s what happened again when this year’s graduates were revealed as John Morrison, Noah Vermeulen and Mitch Mills.

For decades, it has been a tradition for members of the Sparty Mascot Program to walk across the stage at commencement donning the green boots.

Members of the Sparty Mascot Program go above and beyond during their tenure as the beloved mascot. The three recently got together to talk about their time as Sparty.

"There's nothing like this job," Morrison said in an interview. "There's something different about being Sparty and the meaning that it has."

They reflected on the secrecy of being Sparty and the bond it formed for the three of them.

"Obviously we pride ourselves on our secrecy," Mills said. "That's what gets the bond so close is you can't be telling your roommates that you're going to California on the weekend, but you can talk with these guys here."

For Vermeulen, he said nothing is going to compare to his experience as Sparty.

"One of the things that really stands out to me is how much of an honor it is," he said. "You don't realize how much Sparty means to people and how much Michigan State means to people and then you get to become that and you get to be that for someone and make that impact on people."

Learn more about Sparty’s evolution and history with MSU. Check out the 2026 reveal and watch each Sparty's reveal videos at the links below.

John Morrison

Noah Vermeulen

Mitch Mills

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