Pat Fitzgerald Takes to East Lansing Bars for Fan Recruitment - The State News

Head football coach Pat Fitzgerald was walking outside Beggars Banquet while a group of Michigan State students noticed him, The State News reported.

After the students waved, Fitzgerald walked inside and spent 10 minutes talking with them. Finance senior Karol Nowak called him a very stand-up guy who cares about the students and people of East Lansing, adding that the coach is his GOAT.

Fitzgerald and Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae visited Harper’s Restaurant & Brew Pub, Rick’s American Cafe, Los Tres Mex Grill, and FieldHouse to hand out tickets and concession vouchers for Spartan Stadium.

Inside FieldHouse, Fitzgerald and Bartholomae gave short speeches to energize students for the game against Washington. Fitzgerald encouraged the crowd by telling them to let this sh— rocking Saturday during an appearance at FieldHouse.

Michigan State HC Pat Fitzgerald is at the bars in East Lansing to rally students ahead of Saturday’s game against Washington pic.twitter.com/PdtaKske8d

— Post by @BussinWTB on X

MSU Athletics paired with FieldHouse for the Homecoming game against Northwestern, offering free bar cover and pizza to students who stayed for the entirety of the game. For the Washington game, each student ticket counted as two admissions.

During the Homecoming game, men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo entered the student section to support the team. MSU Athletics also made half-off concessions available from halftime until the end of the game for the rest of the season.

Fitzgerald’s interactions changed the way students view the football program after he delivered on a promise to beat Michigan and brought the Paul Bunyan Trophy back to East Lansing.

“Fitz has changed the way I’ve looked at Michigan State football. He came in here. He said he was going to beat Michigan, and you know what? He did,” Nowak told The State News.

Advertising senior Marek Winnicki said he had never felt as good about a football team at the university. Finance freshman Josh Mackey compared Fitzgerald’s campus presence to Tom Izzo, calling the football coach an icon for Michigan State.