Dec. 23, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University will celebrate 125 years of intercollegiate athletics this spring with the dedication of an official state marker at the school's most historic athletic site, Old College Field. The Michigan Historical Commission approved a Michigan Historical Marker for the site at its Dec. 3 meeting.

Located between Jenison Field House and the Red Cedar River, Old College Field is MSU's oldest athletic facility still in continuous use. Since its purchase in 1900 by Michigan State's Board of Agriculture in 1900 for $1,137.50, Old College Field has been the home of Spartan baseball. Throughout the years, several teams have enjoyed the complex, including the football team, which competed there from 1902-22. Today, Old College Field is also home to the MSU soccer and softball teams.

Baseball was the school's first varsity sport, and the 1884 baseball team is credited with playing the first intercollegiate schedule in the department's history. The baseball portion of Old College Field was dedicated Kobs Field in 1969 as a tribute to John Herman Kobs, who served as head coach at Michigan State for 39 seasons (1925-63).

In telling the origins of Old College Field, the green and gold, wolverine-topped historical marker provides a "postage stamp" history of MSU sports: the development of intercollegiate athletics, the move of the football program to Macklin Field (present-day Spartan Stadium), the team's name change from Aggies to Spartans, and the careers of key personnel, including Lyman Frimodig. Frimodig received 10 letters in three sports and holds the record for the most letters in the department's history to this day. He worked for the MSU athletic department for more than 40 years, serving as one-time assistant athletics director. Kobs, the winningest coach in Spartan baseball history with 574 wins, is also mentioned.

"Old College Field is a special place for all Spartans and our 125th anniversary provides for an opportunity to recognize its importance to Michigan State University," said Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis. "It is critical that we pause to reflect on the student-athletes and coaches that have given so much to our history. While celebrating the past, it is also important that the department strives for excellence in all that we do today and in the future, both academically and athletically."

"Two things that haven't changed at Old College Field are the beauty of the setting and the undeniable role it has played in mid-Michigan university life," said Department of History, Arts and Libraries director Dr. William M. Anderson, also a noted Detroit Tigers baseball historian. "Nestled among trees along the Red Cedar River, Old College Field continues to be a place where student-athletes test their mettle in competition and where their fellow students cheer them on. That's the true essence of collegiate sport, and for that to occur in the same spot for more than a century is really special."

Old College Field has been undergoing a facelift over the past few years. The "New Life for Old College Field" project began in 2006 and was conceived to upgrade the site into a first-class facility for MSU teams and fans.

Coinciding with the 125th anniversary of Spartan athletics in the spring of 2009 will be the opening of McLane Baseball Stadium. The stadium is designed for 2,500 seats, including 400 chair back seats and 2,100 bench-style seats, a new press box, backstops, all new fencing and handicap-accessible seating, with brick accents to architecturally match historic Jenison Field House and MSU's newly constructed hitting and pitching facility. Drayton and Elizabeth McLane provided MSU with a $4 million commitment toward the stadium.

The baseball field itself underwent summer renovations in 2006 to resurface and make improvements in the playing area. The entire field area was skinned, and several layers of old dirt and sod were removed. With a stripped surface, work was then done to level the field. The pitcher's mound and both bullpens were rebuilt and graded with fresh dirt, as was the infield. Kentucky bluegrass grown at MSU's renowned Hancock Turf Research Center was used to re-sod the field.

DeMartin Stadium, one of the finest soccer facilities in the Midwest, opened on the west side of Old College Field this past fall. The state-of-the-art facility features new grandstands, bringing the seating capacity to 2,500. The site was reconfigured to provide for a competitive playing field, along with a new press box and practice field.

In addition, the softball field was relocated this past summer, as home plate now faces north toward the Red Cedar River. Renovations to the improve the softball facility are also in the works as part of the "New Life for Old College Field" project.

Sponsors pay for Michigan Historical Markers through donation to the state of Michigan. Since the Michigan Historical Marker program began in 1955, more than 1,500 historical markers have been erected. Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers contains the text and location of state markers and is available anywhere books are sold or by calling (517) 373-1663. To learn more about the marker program and registered historic sites, visit www.michigan.gov/shpo.

The Michigan Historical Marker Program is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which assists in the identification, rehabilitation and interpretation of Michigan's historic resources. The SHPO is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Elements of this story courtesy of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries.