Michigan State & Tuskegee Hoops To Play In Celebration Of 50th Anniversary Of ’Game Of Change’

Detroit Free Press, George Sipple

http://www.freep.com/article/20120808/SPORTS07/308080124/Michigan-State-Tuskegee-game-at-Jenison-Field-House-to-observe-50th-anniversary-of-interracial-contest

Basketball is back at historic Jenison Field House — at least for one December weekend.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “Game of Change” played between all-white Mississippi State and an integrated Loyola (Chicago) team at Jenison, Michigan State will play Division II Tuskegee University on Dec. 15 as part of a Jenison Jubilee weekend. The Commodores will perform a concert before the game.

The preceding night will feature a Spartans reunion game that could draw some of MSU’s all-time greats, such as Magic Johnson, Steve Smith, Greg Kelser and Mateen Cleaves. The MSU women’s basketball team will host Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne on Dec. 16.

“We believe we have a core of something very special and now it is how do we fill in the pieces on executing the event,” athletic director Mark Hollis said.

In the 1963 NCAA tournament, Mississippi State sneaked out of its state, defying an order prohibiting the school from playing against black players. The team traveled to East Lansing and lost to Loyola, 61-51, on March 15 at Jenison.

There was a point when Hollis doubted whether he would be able to mark the 50th anniversary of the NCAA regional semifinal with a game at Jenison.

Hollis initially contacted Loyola officials about playing at Jenison but learned that Loyola and Mississippi State had decided to play for the first time since their game in 1963 to mark the anniversary in Chicago.

“We stepped back from that a little bit and quite frankly came close to pulling the plug on playing anything at Jenison this year,” Hollis said.

Hollis got some inspiration after watching the movie “Red Tails,” a film about the Tuskegee Airmen.

“I was a bit down, because I really wanted to bring this event to Jenison,” Hollis said. “In watching the movie it was Tuskegee, Tuskegee, Tuskegee, and it just rang out.”

Hollis told Kevin Pauga, MSU director of basketball operations, to contact Tuskegee University to explore the feasibility of the basketball team coming to East Lansing for a game.

Hollis said before Pauga could finish explaining why he was calling, the coach at Tuskegee said the team would come.

“To have that response, that someone was just as excited as you are, was pretty gratifying,” Hollis said.

With an opponent in place, Hollis began to reach out to former Spartan greats to gauge interest in participating in an alumni game.

“I spoke to Magic,” Hollis said. “His schedule is extremely busy, but he was extremely excited about the possibility of coming back. That could arguably be the last public game he could play in because he’s not running up and down the court so much anymore. I think that would be a pretty special moment for not only him and his family but for Spartan fans to be a part of that.”

Former basketball coach Jud Heathcote said he would definitely be interested in coming back for such a reunion.

“People that have followed basketball at Michigan State would absolutely love that, to see Magic out one more time, and I’d be in that same group,” Heathcote said.

Cleaves also is interested.

“That would be fun,” he said. “Especially the guys who paved the way for us.

“Even if I wasn’t asked to play in the game, I’d be happy just to be in their presence. I still look up to them to this today. … Hopefully they can pull everything together.”

Hollis said the efforts of the Wharton Center and executive director Michael Brand helped get the Commodores to return to Jenison for a pregame concert.

“What are the chances that Lionel Ritchie comes off his tour — I think it ends five days prior — and joins his old band?” Hollis said. “They played in Jenison in 1981, and I actually went to that concert. I snuck in as a basketball manager, so I feel like I owe them $9.50.

“That band started at Tuskegee Institute, so everything kind of connects.”

Jenison was the home for MSU basketball for 50 seasons in 1940-89. The last official game played there was a second-round NIT game, a 79-67 Spartan win over Wichita State on March 20, 1989.

Capacity for the game is expected to be around 5,000. Tickets for the Dec. 15 contest are $30 and will be sold based on donor priority with staggered on-sale dates to be announced later.

Hollis said there might be some other opportunities to allow people to view the games from other campus venues, though he made a point that he does not want it to detract from commencement ceremonies that weekend.