The forecast predicts that the high will be 29 and the low will be 22.
Fitzgerald secures homegrown talent and depth in his first MSU class
One word that describes the current state of recruiting in college football is “whirlwind.” With players rapidly contacting and visiting multiple schools across the country, the process can quickly turn chaotic, and coaches may hardly know who is on their roster by winter workouts. That process can feel even more overwhelming for a coach who had been away from college football since 2022, but Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald arrived in East Lansing prepared. After countless phone calls and nonstop campus visits, his first recruiting class at Michigan State has been assembled. Most of the high school recruits joining the Spartans for the 2026 season signed with the program less than 24 hours after Fitzgerald’s introductory press conference, but one athlete kept his recruitment open: wide receiver Samson Gash. His retention quickly became a key priority for Fitzgerald, as Gash is not only one of Michigan’s top players but the state’s top wide receiver. The speedy receiver, Michigan’s reigning 100-meter dash champion in track, visited Penn State before committing to the Spartans after spending a weekend at MSU. He will join his brother, Caleb, a redshirt junior safety on the team.
Two MSU hockey alumni set to compete in 2026 Winter Olympics
Former forwards Wojciech Stachowiak and Dustin Gazley will compete in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, representing their respective countries. Wojciech Stachowiak spent two seasons at MSU, competing from 2018 to 2020. He played in 27 of the team’s 36 games as a freshman, posting four points, all goals. The forward appeared in 13 games as a sophomore, tallying one assist. Stachowiak signed a one-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning on May 22, 2025, at age 25. He spent the past season with the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, recording 17 points in 38 games. Stachowiak was born in Poland but moved to Germany at 11 to further his hockey career. He has represented Team Germany at three IIHF Men’s World Championships. Dustin Gazley grew up in Novi, Mich., and spent four seasons at MSU, graduating in 2011. He joined the Spartans for the 2007-08 season, following MSU’s 2007 national title. Gazley skated in 153 career games, totaling 73 points on 30 goals and 43 assists. His point production increased in each season at MSU. Despite his Michigan roots, Gazley obtained dual citizenship in the early 2000s, a result of his mother’s Sicilian roots. Since 2024, Gazley has represented Italy at the IIHF Men’s World Championship Division 1 Group A, the second-highest level of the World Championship. He has spent the last six seasons with HC Bolzano in Italy, a team in a Central European hockey league.
Students collaborate with an artist in new Olin Health Center mural
Many murals and pieces of art exist across campus at Michigan State University, but one of the newest ones can be found right at a place many students already frequent, the Olin Health Center. Looking to brighten up one of the University’s oldest buildings, built in 1939, and a place many students frequent for mental and physical health needs, a team of MSU officials searched for an artist to take on the task. The call for artists was put out in the summer of 2024, and the selection team was looking specifically for someone who had community-engaged mural experience and background. The selection team included a large group including those who work everyday in Olin, accounting for all levels of the “care experience.” The artist selected was Detroit-based artist India Solomon. It was agreed that Solomon’s application “really stood out,” largely due to her unique qualifications and educational journey. Along with her background in urban planning, Solomon also taught five UHW counseling groups at MSU, giving her relationships with those who would be seeing the mural often. Solomon was looking forward to the mural project for numerous reasons, but one specificity in her mind was to spend more time on the lead-up to the final mural project than the project itself. Solomon worked with students in therapy groups, many who had no prior experience in art.
