Spartan Stadium art installation will permanently honor 1965 and 1966 championship teams

The 1965 and 1966 Michigan State Football teams, defined by their championship performances on the field and their transcendent impact on sport and society off the field, will be immortalized outside of Spartan Stadium with an art installation. The announcement comes in the 60th anniversary season of the 1966 season, just days before Michigan State and Notre Dame meet 60 years after the Game of the Century. The project is scheduled to be dedicated in conjunction with the MSU-Notre Dame football game next fall in East Lansing.

The art, designed by J Brett Grill of JBG Sculpture, will capture an iconic photo of Michigan State head coach Duffy Daugherty and five All-Americans from the 1965 and 1966 teams: running back Clinton Jones, fullback Bob Apisa, defensive end Bubba Smith, wide receiver Gene Washington and linebacker George Webster. The individuals depicted represent all team members from Michigan State that created a positive force for change in college football. The project is made possible in part through the generosity of Spartan Athletic Foundation donors, including a lead gift from Jim and Matt Pasant.

“Michigan State is privileged to celebrate the 1965 and 1966 football teams with a permanent display at Spartan Stadium,” said Dan Bartholomae, Michigan State vice president and director of athletics. “We are immensely proud of the leading role these teams played in integrating college football and college athletics. They embody the very best of what it means to be a Spartan. This project will help tell their story and bring recognition to the brave trailblazers who broke records and barriers, ensuring that their mark on sport and society is not forgotten.”

Read the full story on msuspartans.com.