Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Report For Preseason Football Camp
8/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Ninth-year Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio welcomed 104 members of the 2015 team back to campus for dorm check-in, freshman academic orientation, compliance and drug education meetings, a media workshop, team meetings and a welcome dinner on Friday, Aug. 7, as the Spartans opened preseason football camp. The first preseason practice is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8 at 10:05 a.m. ET.
Michigan State, which has posted a 24-3 record since 2013, is the only school in the nation to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (24-20 over Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game) and a New Year's Six bowl game (42-41 over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl Classic) last season. The Spartans' 24 wins over the last two seasons are tied for the third most in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (Florida State -- 27; Ohio State -- 26; MSU/Oregon -- 24).
Michigan State returns 50 lettermen, including 17 starters, from last year's team that capped off an 11-2 season with a dramatic 20-point comeback win over No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic. The Spartans finished No. 5 in the final 2014 Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls.
"The first day of practice marks a new beginning, with new goals and new dreams," Dantonio said. "There are new players and new players at different positions. Some players are starting their last year while others are starting their first season. It's definitely an exciting time for Michigan State football.
"We've always had great senior leadership and our expectations remain high for this year's senior class. When your seniors have their best seasons, both on and off the field, then special things are possible. The challenge will be how we manage adversity and how we handle critical situations, both on and off the field. This team will go as our seniors go. Over the last two years, we have the third-winningest program in the country, so are goals are high as we enter the 2015 season and we're looking forward to getting back to work.
"The focus and a sense of urgency need to be there from the opening day of preseason camp," Dantonio continued. "We can get a lot accomplished in one day. There's so much packed into one day, both on and off the field. Every three- or four-day stretch is a long time in terms of preparation and development. It's a big machine, moving slowly.
"We're pleased that more than 90 percent of our players passed the final Bottom Line (conditioning) test, and it's a very difficult test. The guys have been invested in the Bottom Line program all summer and that commitment will definitely pay forward."
Following a 6 a.m. wake-up call and breakfast on Saturday, the players will report to the Skandalaris Football Center for team and unit meetings before hitting the practice field for the first time in helmets, jerseys and shorts. Saturday afternoon, the players will participate in lift and film sessions and attend another team meeting.
Over the next five days, the Spartans will practice in shorts for two days and shells for two more days before donning full pads for the first time on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Michigan State will conduct its annual Media Day on Monday, Aug. 10.
Michigan State, ranked No. 6 in the Preseason Amway Coaches Poll, opens the 2015 season at Western Michigan on Friday, Sept. 4, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
