Spartan Stadium North End Zone Dedication Held Monday Night
8/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dedication Photo Gallery | Photo Tour
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University officially dedicated the $24.5 million North End Zone Complex, a 50,000-square-foot addition to Spartan Stadium, on Monday, Aug. 25. A crowd of more than 600 Spartan Fund donors attended the dedication ceremony.
An hour-long open house was held before the ceremony, as people toured the 4,500-square-foot Rachel Fairman Adams Locker Room, the 3,600-square-foot Tom and Lupe Izzo Family Media Center, and the 4,000-square-foot Mark and Nancy Hollis Family/Skandalaris Family Engagement Center.
Former All-America offensive lineman Flozell Adams provided a leadership gift of $1.5 million for MSU's new locker room, which is named in honor of his late mother, Rachel Adams.
"This facility is about people," MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis told the crowd, speaking from the tunnel in the new facility. "It's about the people who work here, who play here, who compete here, but it's also about you."
The new structure also features the Demmer Family Pavilion, the Earvin and Cookie Johnson Pavilion, and the Craig and Vicki Brown entrance plaza, with renovated gates and additional restrooms and concessions. In addition, the building includes new locker rooms for coaches and officials and a 700-square-foot home training room.
"2014 to me is about handling success," said MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, who took the stage to a standing ovation. "What this is all about for us right now, I said, `It starts here.' Today, it starts here in this facility as well. This Friday, it will start in this facility for real."
"I really want to thank you," said MSU senior co-captain Kurtis Drummond. "It not only does a lot for me as somebody who is about to leave, but for the players that are coming after us, it's big for recruiting. A lot of guys will look at a facility like this, and look at the other facilities around the nation, and they don't compare to this. It's not only the facility, but the type of coaches that we have and the type of people that support us."
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, Board of Trustee member and former Spartan offensive lineman Brian Mosallam, and Deputy Athletics Director Greg Ianni also spoke at the dedication ceremony.
No. 8/8 Michigan State will open the 2014 season Friday, Aug. 29 against Jacksonville State at 7:30 p.m. in Spartan Stadium.
