The school's sports teams are called the Spartans. The mascot is Sparty. They
participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big Ten Conference; its hockey program competes in the
Central Collegiate Hockey
Association. There is a long-standing rivalry between Michigan State and The University of Michigan. The two teams face off each fall in a football contest which seems to
divide the state in two. Additionally, their hockey rivalry has been referred to as "the fiercest rivalry on ice."Michigan State has been involved in the most-attended hockey and basketball games in history. On October
6, 2001, the Spartans set up a hockey rink in the middle of their football stadium,
Spartan Stadium, and played their historic rivals Michigan before a crowd of 74,554. On December
13, 2003, Michigan State and Kentucky played basketball in front of 78,129 at Ford
Field, a domed stadium in Detroit.