SB Nation Denver: All Posts by Chris Vannini

Photo of the Week: Wells Hall fire (1905)

2013-05-24T15:34:15Z

Spectators watch Wells Hall burn during the 1905 fire. This was the first Wells Hall on campus. There have been two since.

Here's what the first Wells Hall looked like. It was built in 1877, standing where the current library is, and was the main dorm. The second Wells Hall was taken down to eventually expand the library.

Photo via

Freep Guest Column: Underrated recruiting

2013-05-20T14:16:27Z

Michigan remains near the top of all the recruiting rankings. But MSU may be off to its best recruiting start under Mark Dantonio for the class of 2013. The talent in East Lansing isn't declining.

There is room for two good programs in this state.

Here is my latest Freep guest column.

Photo of the Week: Aerial view of athletic fields (1955)

2013-05-17T14:59:12Z

This photograph is an aerial shot of campus by the Abrams Survey. This view shows the football stadium and baseball fields in the year of 1955.

Old College Field is basically just a field. You can also see Jenison Field House and Demonstration Hall, where the basketball and hockey teams played, respectively.

Also, farmland. #MooU

Photo via

Torey Krug scores first goal in first playoff game

2013-05-17T03:04:04Z

Torey Krug made his playoff debut for the Bruins tonight, and he scored his first-career NHL goal, a PP in the third period to tie the game. The Bruins would win in OT. Not bad.

2014 Big Ten schedule released

2013-05-16T16:25:13Z

MSU may not love being in the B1G East, but they will like the 2014 football schedule.

Aug. 30: vs. JACKSONVILLE STATE
Sept. 13: at Oregon
Sept. 20: vs. WYOMING
Sept. 27: vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
Oct. 4 : vs. NEBRASKA
Oct. 11: at Purdue
Oct. 18: at Indiana
Oct. 25: vs. MICHIGAN
Nov. 8: vs. OHIO STATE
Nov. 15: at Maryland
Nov. 22: vs. RUTGERS
Nov. 29: at Penn State

So, home B1G games against Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers. Road games against Purdue, Indiana, Maryland and Penn State. Gotta like that for 2014. Though if you flip it for 2015, not as favorable. Also, the 2014 bye weeks are Week 2 and between Michigan and Ohio State. Again, gotta like that.

The home slate seems to alter between great (2012, 2014) and terrible (2013, 2015).

If you notice, the final six conference games are the divisional games. The Big Ten is trying to make the races more interesting down the stretch.

Also of note: MSU will be hosting Michigan back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. It's the first time that has happened. (MSU played at U-M almost every time during the first 50ish years of the rivalry).

Overall, it's a very good B1G schedule for MSU, but Michigan should have a good team in 2014 and Ohio State is Ohio State. The East is quite tough. If MSU can split those two games, they should have a good shot.

You can look at the entire conference schedule here.

From its old 2014 sched to this one MSU trades Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, and Minnesota for Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and Maryland
— Heck Dorland (@HeckAtTOC) May 16, 2013

Spartan Stadium's future?

2013-05-13T00:44:25Z

If you haven't seen, Texas A&M will be doing some unreal renovations on Kyle Field, which will expand the capacity to more than 100,000 and make it the largest in the SEC. I mean, look at this:

The Auburn SB Nation blog, College and Magnolia, threw out the question to its readers what they would renovate at their stadium, so I figured I'd ask it here.

What about Spartan Stadium? The stadium just added the most total video screen area in the nation, and the north end zone will be renovated this summer and over the next year (board approval expected in June) to add a recruiting room, media rooms, new locker rooms and fan amenities (concessions, restrooms). Speaking as someone who has attended plenty of post-game press conferences, having them in trailers outside the area always felt so cheap for a major college program. This seemingly-little addition will go a long way in the perception of the program. The gas station on the east side is also starting to be removed.

via Mark Hollis' twitter

What after that? Note that there are no publicly-known plans for the next step, and whatever it is would cost a lot of money that MSU doesn't have yet, but what's most important for you?

Possibilities include club seats on the east side and/or covering the east side in brick like the west side. I don't think there's any need to greatly expand seating. It would also be hard to build it over the scoreboards. But maybe some of you think otherwise?

With the west end zone press box and club seats, the new scoreboards, the sight-lines and the picturesque location in the center of campus, I personally think Spartan Stadium is one of the more underrated college football stadiums in the country. It's 90 years old and actually older than Michigan Stadium. But when the building is used seven times a year, how crazy do you get with renovations?

Just for fun, what would you like to see added?