EAST LANSING, Mich. — Spartan alumni flooded back to East Lansing for homecoming weekend, bringing with them decades of memories and a deep sense of family connection to Michigan State University. Saturday's football game against UCLA served as the backdrop for a celebration that drew graduates from near and far, each carrying their own special traditions and stories.
- Recent graduates Andrew Vieregge and Joey Fishkind traveled from Detroit for their first homecoming as alumni, experiencing the "weird but fun" perspective of being on the other side of graduation
- Long-time alumnus Glenn Preston flew in from Virginia for what has become an annual tradition, marking nearly 50 years since his 1977 graduation
- Alumni gathered for tailgates featuring special recipes and reunions, with many describing the experience as returning to a family that feels unchanged despite the passage of time
Saturday's football game against UCLA was a celebration of Spartan Alumni featuring big crowds and a lot of old memories.
WATCH: Spartan alumni return to East Lansing for homecoming celebration
"Once I got off the highway and started recognizing places it all just started flushing back into my memory," said Joey Fishkind.
Andrew Vieregge and Joey Fishkind are brand new alumni who traveled from Detroit, coming back to MSU for their first homecoming game.
"Weird being on the other side but it's fun, it's nice being on the other side and coming back," Vieregge said.
The friends came together for a tailgate, bringing their special recipe chili and good times.
"Everyone's back in town got to see a lot of old friends which is always fun," Vieregge said.
For other alumni like Glenn Preston it's not his first alumni game.
"I graduated originally in 77 so it's almost 50 years," Preston said.
Preston flew from Virginia to come back to his alma mater, and says it's been cool to see the campus grow.
"Every year I come up there's something different, and I remember when Munn was built," Preston said.
But more than the campus itself, Preston says it's the people who truly define it.
"It's family. I mean I know that cliché and I don't know everybody so not everybody in my family but the people that I went to school with people I met after school. It's just you know you come once a year or twice a year and it's just like you never left," Preston 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.
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