Portal:College football

Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations of a Spartan warrior with a prominent chin appeared at university events and in university literature. In 1943, MSU art professor Leonard D. Jungwirth designed a statue for the university, which had to be cast in terra cotta because of World War II rationing. In 2005, the university had to replace Jungwirth's original statue with a bronze replica, moving the original indoors.

Sparty appears in several other incarnations. In printed literature, the university uses a copyrighted cartoon Spartan, usually drawn with a grimace and several days worth of whiskers, lending the nickname of "Gruff" Sparty. Finally, Sparty appears as a foam rubber mascot with an oversized head. The mascot costume, worn by an anonymous student, appears at most university sporting, alumni, and fundraising events; he is often portrayed in MSU notices and materials.

• We need a playoff. — Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida who supported creating a play-off for NCAA Division I-A
• I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault. — former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Jack Tatum, on the fierce quality of his play
• If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you. — University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, on his motivational techniques
• When people used to see Wake Forest on the schedule, they used a pen to mark down a `W.' We're at the point now where we at least make them use a pencil. — Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe

• ... that the Harvard Crimson football team (home stadium pictured) has won 12 national championships and is the eighth winningest team in NCAA Division I football history?
• ... that American football running back Keith Elias graduated from Princeton University with 21 Princeton Tigers records and 4 National Collegiate Athletic Association I-AA records?
• ... that Vanderbilt's "Blonde Bear" supervised the ransacking of black households in the 1946 Columbia Race Riot?
• ... that Native American football player Peter Hauser has been credited with throwing the first spiral pass?

• ... that the Yale Bulldogs football team (mascot pictured) has won 27 national championships and ranks second in wins in college football history?
• ... that Michigan's All-American 60-minute man Tom Johnson was the second African-American player for the Green Bay Packers?
• ... that Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough played for Hall of Fame football coach John Gagliardi at Saint John's University?
• ... that the Wittenberg Tigers from Springfield, Ohio, have won more games than any other Division III college football team?