EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State football's performance directly impacts downtown East Lansing businesses, with local establishments seeing increased revenue and energy during successful seasons and game days.
As MSU enters a new era of Spartan football with fans hoping for a return to winning ways, downtown businesses are feeling the effects of the team's performance on their bottom line.
"How well the Spartans are doing on the football field definitely generates more business for us," said Rudy Richmond, assistant general manager at Jolly Pumpkin and Mash.
Richmond explained that the connection between football success and business revenue is particularly strong for establishments near campus.
"But every Big Ten school is a football school. It just generates so much money for the downtown businesses with us being so close in proximity to the Spartan stadium," Richmond said.
The energy shift downtown on game days is palpable, according to Richmond, who has remained in East Lansing partly because of his love for that atmosphere.
"There's just a different energy in the city, when the boys are about to play. You got die-hard Spartans like me. I went to school years ago and I'm still here because I love energy. I have been a Spartan since I was a kid and that's just something I love to see every year," Richmond said.
Other downtown establishments share similar experiences. Michael Krueger, general manager at Crunchy's, confirmed that game days are crucial for business operations.
• Downtown East Lansing businesses report direct correlation between MSU football success and increased revenue • Local restaurant managers say game days are crucial for their operations and provide significant income
• Business owners maintain Spartan pride and support regardless of team performance
Watch below:
"Game days are big for us; that's a good part of our bread-and-butter. That's where we try to get through as quickly as possible throughout the season," Krueger said.
The atmosphere at Crunchy's combines entertainment with Spartan pride, creating an environment that attracts both longtime fans and new customers.
"Getting people in here and going to the stadium, people love doing it and bringing their families and the kids, we love it," Krueger said.
For Richmond, the unwavering Spartan pride is what makes East Lansing special, regardless of the team's performance.
"We do everything to show our Spartan pride here and we're going to continue to do it win or lose hope we're winning but we're going to show support for the boys," Richmond said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
