EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State will resume athletics competition this weekend, the school announced on Thursday, including the Spartans' men's basketball game scheduled for Saturday at Michigan.
In the wake of Monday's shooting that took the lives of three Michigan State students and critically wounded five others, all competition had been suspended through Friday, including the home men's basketball game against Minnesota on Wednesday and the women's basketball at Purdue.
"The safety and physical and mental well-being of our students and staff is the primary focus of Michigan State athletics," Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement. "In consultation with mental health professionals and in conversations with our student-athletes, it became apparent that a return to practice and competition is a crucial part of their recovery. Student-athletes were given an active voice in the decision to return to competition, as well as the autonomy to make their own individual choices about participation."
The decision on the men's basketball game was made following discussions between Haller and Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel, the university said.
"Athletics can be a rallying point for a community in need of healing, a fact many of our student-athletes have mentioned to me," Haller said in his statement. "The opportunity to represent our entire community has never felt greater. I also recognize that everyone grieves in their own unique manner, and there are some who aren't ready to return to athletic events. Those feelings are incredibly valid, and as Coach (Tom) Izzo so eloquently stated last night, I hope that we will all focus on taking care of one another."
In addition to the men's basketball game, the women's basketball team will host Maryland at 3 p.m. on Saturday as originally scheduled.
The men's tennis will not travel to Virginia for matches at Virginia Tech and VCU as originally planned. Instead, the Spartans will remain home and host Drake at 10 a.m. Saturday in a rescheduled event which was initially slated for Wednesday.
Michigan State's hockey team traveled to Madison, Wis., on Wednesday in advance of its games with the Badgers on Friday and Saturday.
Other teams are also planning to travel on Thursday for weekend competition, including softball to Elon, N.C., baseball to Arizona and women's golf to Melbourne, Fla. On Friday, wrestling (at Central Michigan) and members of the men's and women's track and field teams (at Michigan) will travel for competition on the same day. Members of the men's and women's track and field squads are also scheduled to compete Saturday at Notre Dame.
The women's gymnastics meet at Illinois scheduled for Friday has been postponed.
