ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Crisler Center has never looked like this.
It turned green.
There was a big-time basketball game being played Saturday night, with significant implications for Michigan and Michigan State's postseason hopes, but that wasn't the biggest story. Not even close.
Wolverines and Spartans fans came together like perhaps they never have before, five days after a shooting on Michigan State's campus in East Lansing killed three students and critically injured five others.
Before tipoff, during a moment of silence for the Michigan State victims, Michigan officials turned the arena green, and it stayed that way as the Michigan Band played "Shadows," the Michigan State alma mater.
During warmups, Michigan players wore green Michigan State heart stickers on their maize T-shirts that also paid tribute to the Spartans, and during pregame introductions of Michigan State's players, the Spartans received a loud standing ovation from the capacity crowd of nearly 14,0000. Fans throughout one side of the arena yelled, "Go Green," while fans on the other side yelled, "Go White."
"It's a great time for two schools to come together," said John Beilein, Michigan's former head coach, who was in the building for a reunion of the 2013 national runner-up team, "and see what's really important."
During the halftime ceremony for the 2013 team, Beilein spoke while wearing a green Michigan State button. This is a man who during his coaching days used to playfully — but not totally joking — chide beat reporters who used to show up at Crisler Center wearing any hint of green clothing.
Michigan State athletics returned to competition Friday for the first time since the tragedy on campus, with all four Spartans teams — baseball, hockey, softball and wrestling — winning Friday.
Saturday night marked Michigan State basketball's return to competition, with the women's team playing Maryland in East Lansing, before the men played Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Michigan State players and fans have never received a welcome like this evening in Washtenaw County, where members of the Maize Rage, Michigan's student section, stuck with the plan for a "Maize Out" — but wore on those shirts, "Michigan Basketball Stands with MSU." The Michigan players and cheerleaders wore the same shirts. Many Michigan students also wore green heart stickers and ribbons. Several Michigan fans wore Michigan shirts but Michigan State hats as they waited outside the arena for the doors to open.
A green Michigan State "Spartan Strong" banner draped one row of the Maize Rage, where one Michigan student held up a whiteboard that read: "Love You Brother," with "Little" crossed out. Another sign read, "We're With U MSU." One member of the Maize Rage went around the arena before the game holding a whiteboard suggesting donations to the "Spartan Strong Fund." The Maize Rage's Venmo account had received at least 10 public donations before tip, with messages like, "God's Work. Go Green, And Thank You For Caring," and "Spartan Strong!"
All fans were given glow bracelets, which were synced and choreographed, strategically alternating colors, from blue to green, landing on green for most of the first half. Michigan State players and coaches — as well as athletic director Alan Haller — wore white, "Spartan Strong" T-shirts.
The evening's love for Michigan State even carried over to the early moments of the game, when Joey Hauser opened the scoring with a jump shot, sparking an ovation from fans wearing green and maize.
Doubt you've ever seen that before.
