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In the news today- MSU Turf Management Program provides grass for the World Cup, Sparty made nearly $100,000 for MSU last year, and MSU Breakers wrap up the semester with a one-on-one dance battle.
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What is The State - A Podcast from The State News + Impact 89FM?
The State is a daily rundown of the headlines that matter to the East Lansing, MI community.
Hi, and welcome back to The State. I'm your host, Rebecca McAvoy. Today's date is 04/23/2026. The forecast predicts that the high will be 78 and the low being 49. The state brings you to the stories that matter.
Speaker 1:MSU turf management program provides grass for World Cup. The world's biggest sporting event kicks off in fifty days. 16 stadiums, 48 teams, and a 106 games, all played on grass developed through Michigan State's turf grass management program. MAC researchers are collaborating with FIFA and the University of Tennessee Knoxville to provide the playing surface for the twenty twenty six World Cup, which kicks off June 11 across The US, Canada, and Mexico. They are providing more than 88 miles of natural sod for the largest edition of the competition yet.
Speaker 1:The project was funded through a grant from FIFA, led by John Trey Rogers III, a professor at MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Science Resources and a turf graph expert. Researchers crafted a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and Pyrannell ryegrass of Bermuda grass that will be used in each stadium. The mixture can be grown in on sand or on plastic, making it easier to replicate at sod farms across North America. Sparty made nearly a $100,000 for MSU last year. From Michigan State University students, Sparty can feel somewhat omnipresent.
Speaker 1:From his regular appearances at sporting events to his seemingly endless golf cart rides across campus, the beloved Spartan warrior is quintessential part of the MSU experience. He also quite the high earner. Last fiscal year, Sparty brought in just shy of a $100,000 for the university across 222 appearances at weddings and other paid events. According to Foyabaugh, that's good enough to best all but two other mascots and revenue generating prowess. Ohio State's Brutus and Minnesota's Goldie.
Speaker 1:The MSU Alumni Office allows the groups to request this party appear for forty five minutes at a variety of events, including graduation parties, birthdays, and charity events. The price of such appearances vary through travel must also be covered by the requester. A visit from the nine foot seven inch warrior at a quinceanera runs a base fee of $300, while an appearance at a corporate event will run north of a thousand dollars. It's wedding that costs the most at $1,500 per forty five minute appearance, which Spardi does on a tuxedo. In the last fiscal year, Spardi attended 18 weddings where he netted $27,000.
Speaker 1:While the cast's first party appearance differs across venues due to a combination of factors, the compensation for the student who appears as Sparty is set in does not change. MSU spokesperson, Amber McAvoy said. MSU Breakers wraps semester up with one on one dance battle. MSU Breakers, a student organization that fosters community through the art of breakdance, hosted its end of the year dance battle on the lawn of MSU Multicultural Center on April 21 at 6PM. This end of the year battle was a one on one battle with members of the club.
Speaker 1:It was also the first to be held outdoors and open to the public, said former MSU Breakers president and environmental studies and sustainability senior, Emma Howe. This year's dance battle was Five Nights at Freddy's themed, a 2014 indie horror game that built a massive fan base. NBC Breakers showcased a sign featuring characters from the game alongside YouTuber Marky Peeler, who helped popularize it and the game theory, known for creating in-depth theories during its early rise. The sign read the five nights at freddie at the m c c. President of m s u breakers in cultural comparative politics and German sophomore, Alan Hope, said it it wasn't necessarily his idea to make the event FNAF themed.
Speaker 1:Still, the club likes to name its battles something funny. Thank you for joining us for The State Today, produced by The State News and Impact eighty nine FM. You can find us online at statenews.com and impact89fm.org. We'll be back tomorrow with more.