Going inside the Izzone

Filling each men’s basketball game with a sense of passion, dedication and Spartan spirit is the Izzone, a student section like no other. Five thousand members strong, the Izzone is comprised of students who fervently attend each home game to cheer, chant and occasionally rib the rival team, creating the perfect atmosphere for MSU to seize victory.  

The Izzone is named after MSU men’s basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo, who helped grow the passionate student section during his first season at MSU in 1996. As Izzo leads his 30th season as head coach — and fresh off his 11th Big Ten title win and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fourth time — it’s the perfect moment to celebrate this storied student section that also honors the impact and legacy of its namesake. Get a front row seat to what it takes to make Breslin Center the toughest place to play by revisiting the Izzone as it worked its magic during the Feb. 8 home game against the University of Oregon. Photos by Nick Schrader.

For the Izzone, each game begins long before tip-off. Section leaders arrive at the Breslin Center more than two hours before each game to set up the section with newspapers and any other props to make noise or distract the opposing team and also help to scan tickets for Izzone members. Members arrive an hour before the game starts, with about 1,500 students attending each game in the upper and lower bowls.

As players make their way onto the court, the Izzone makes sure everyone knows who to cheer for ­— hyping up and welcoming each Spartan player as they are introduced, while reading the newspaper as the opposing team makes their entrance and decrying their players.

After the teams are introduced, students crumple and toss the newspapers, which are specially printed for each game with a custom headline declaring “Beat [opposing team]” in large green and white letters, into the air.

When the game begins, the Izzone gets to work — boosting team morale with an ever-evolving selection of chants and cheers designed to encourage the Spartans and discourage their opponents.

Often called the “sixth man” on the court, the Izzone brings an energy and hype to each game that is unparalleled — with many Spartan victories attributed to, in some capacity, the student section’s passionate support.

One of the best and most unique things about the Izzone is how the team, including coaches, players and staff, interact with it. From the Izzone campout to the home games, Head Coach Izzo and the team never take the students’ enthusiasm for granted, interacting with them during the game and showing appreciation for their collective energy and Spartan spirit.

Whether the Spartans win or lose (though for Izzo, who holds the record in Big Ten conference wins, it’s most likely a win), the Izzone community endures, continually proving it’s unlike any other student section in college basketball. By creating chants, cheers and traditions that transcend a single student’s experience at MSU, the student section has built a legacy that will live on long after members graduate.

Whether you’re cheering for the Spartans on TV, in the Breslin Center or even from the Izzone itself, the boundless energy and enthusiasm of MSU’s student section means there’s always hundreds of passionate fans cheering alongside you. Go Green! Go White!