By Lamar Reevers
The Brotherly rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has been going on for decades, with many Grand Rapids Community College students picking sides.
GRCC students like to debate which college teams are better in sports including basketball, football, or hockey. Some students are down to Earth with their college teams picks, while others might be more guided by their emotions. No matter your pick, when Michigan and Michigan State play against each other history is made for both teams, with certain fans earning bragging rights.
For the last 20 years, Michigan State was the beating heart of Michigan football until COVID-19 happened and Michigan became the top team after they won their national championship. But before Michigan State was the top dog that made some people’s greatest moments into their worst moments.
Some students in GRCC grew up being fans because of their household or family traditions. Jada Swan, a 19-year-old GRCC student, from Grand Rapids, is a Michigan fan because of her father.
“The greatest moment is (when) I went to Michigan State University and they played Michigan but they lost,” Swan said.
Cullin Silverman an 18-year-old from Rockford, said, “All my life, I grew up in a Michigan State household. My uncle went to Michigan State, my grandparents are Michigan State fan(s), my mom is, and now my two brothers go to Michigan State.” Silverman grew up in a family tradition of being a Michigan State fan.
The brotherly rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State expanded internationally. Josiah Mupeso, a 25-year-old international student at GRCC, was indecisive about who to choose when he moved from Zambia to Michigan. Mupeso expressed that his friend is a die-hard Michigan State fan and loves bragging about how Michigan always loses to the Spartans. “He was bragging about Michigan State until it really irritated me, and I started out being a Michigan fan,” Mupeso said.
There are a lot of great moments in this famed rivalry, but some are the most famous moments of all time.
Some GRCC students believed that the greatest football moment between Michigan and Michigan State was “The Muff Punt.”
Ryan Heldt, an 18-year-old student at GRCC, said “The Blocked Punt, the muffed punt, when Michigan State ran all the way to the touchdown” was the greatest moment of all in the storied history between these two colleges.
The rivalry will continue throughout our lifetime and it will never get old, so which side are you on? Michigan or Michigan State?
