In the transfer portal era, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of certain rivalries. Jonathan Smith wasn’t about to let his team lose sight of the Michigan State vs Michigan rivalry’s importance, however.
The second-year head coach got to see firsthand just how intense the rivalry is, and he got an unpleasant introduction to the rivalry in 2024 with a loss in Ann Arbor. After the game, he admitted that he didn’t quite know how important it was until he was in it.
That had to change.
So in order to help fix that mindset, Smith brought in a former coach over the summer to speak to the team as well as two players on the roster who grew up in the state and know just how intense it is.