EAST LANSING — Before Michigan State football kicked off the 2021 season Friday at Northwestern, new MSU athletic director Alan Haller walked around the tailgates outside Ryan Field.
He found Spartan fans, and some of them — to his surprise — recognized him instantly.
“It was a really cool experience, getting to know some of the fans and just listening to them,” Haller said Tuesday during his introductory news conference at Breslin Center. “We have the most passionate fan base out there. I was so energized being outside and walking through the tailgates.”
It is something Haller — a former Spartan football and track athlete and one-time MSU Police officer — said he plans to do throughout the fall on his own campus.