offers 12 varsity sports for men and 13 for women. Since their teams are called the Spartans, MSU's mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty. The university participates in the Big Ten Conference in all varsity sports. The current athletic director is former MSU football player and NFL cornerback Alan Haller, who began his tenure on September 1, 2021.
In 1888 Michigan State University (then known as Michigan State Agricultural College) along with Olivet, Albion and Hillsdale Colleges was a founding member of the nation's oldest athletic conference, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). MAC left the conference in 1907.
=== Football ===
Football has a long tradition at Michigan State. Starting as a club sport in 1884, football gained varsity status in 1896. The Spartans won the Rose Bowl in 1954, 1956, 1988, and 2014. They won national championships in 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965 and 1966. The Spartans accounted for four of the top eight selections in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, the only time …
