Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Stadium Art Installation Will Permanently Honor 1965 and 1966 Championship Teams
9/15/2026 10:15:00 AM | Football
The 1965 and 1966 Michigan State Football teams, defined by their championship performances on the field and their transcendent impact on sport and society off the field, will be immortalized outside of Spartan Stadium with an art installation. The announcement comes in the 60th anniversary season of the 1966 season, just days before Michigan State and Notre Dame meet 60 years after the Game of the Century. Â The project is scheduled to be dedicated in conjunction with the MSU-Notre Dame football game next fall in East Lansing.
The art, designed by J Brett Grill of JBG Sculpture, will capture an iconic photo of Michigan State head coach Duffy Daugherty and five All-Americans from the 1965 and 1966 teams: running back Clinton Jones, fullback Bob Apisa, defensive end Bubba Smith, wide receiver Gene Washington and linebacker George Webster. The individuals depicted represent all team members from Michigan State that created a positive force for change in college football. The project is made possible in part through the generosity of Spartan Athletic Foundation donors, including a lead gift from Jim and Matt Pasant.
"Michigan State is privileged to celebrate the 1965 and 1966 football teams with a permanent display at Spartan Stadium," said Dan Bartholomae, Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics. "We are immensely proud of the leading role these teams played in integrating college football and college athletics. They embody the very best of what it means to be a Spartan. This project will help tell their story and bring recognition to the brave trailblazers who broke records and barriers, ensuring that their mark on sport and society is not forgotten."
On the football field, the Spartans captured back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships in 1965 and 1966, posting a combined record of 19 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. The one tie came in the historic 1966 Game of the Century against No. 1 Notre Dame, a 10-10 result in Spartan Stadium on Nov. 19.
Although the athletic achievements were exceptional, what separates these teams from other champions is their impact on society. They sparked national changes not just in college football, but also college athletics. Daugherty was one of the first college football coaches to compile a roster consisting of a racially integrated team, including many Black players from the South, breaking down racial barriers and changing the college football landscape forever. In a decade where many major programs remained segregated, the 1965 team had 23 Black players on its roster and the 1966 team had 20 Black players, including 12 starters – numbers that were unprecedented at the time.
Under Daugherty, players had individual success both athletically and academically, as 20 players earned All-Big Ten accolades in 1965, only to be topped by 21 earning all-conference recognition in 1966. Numerous academic All-Conference, All-Region and All-American accolades were earned, including two Academic All-Americans in each of the 1965 and '66 seasons. The 1967 NFL Draft included four Michigan State players in the top eight selections, and all four of them were Black (Jones, Smith, Washington and Webster).
In 2024, the 1965 and 1966 football teams became the only teams ever inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Â
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The art, designed by J Brett Grill of JBG Sculpture, will capture an iconic photo of Michigan State head coach Duffy Daugherty and five All-Americans from the 1965 and 1966 teams: running back Clinton Jones, fullback Bob Apisa, defensive end Bubba Smith, wide receiver Gene Washington and linebacker George Webster. The individuals depicted represent all team members from Michigan State that created a positive force for change in college football. The project is made possible in part through the generosity of Spartan Athletic Foundation donors, including a lead gift from Jim and Matt Pasant.
"Michigan State is privileged to celebrate the 1965 and 1966 football teams with a permanent display at Spartan Stadium," said Dan Bartholomae, Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics. "We are immensely proud of the leading role these teams played in integrating college football and college athletics. They embody the very best of what it means to be a Spartan. This project will help tell their story and bring recognition to the brave trailblazers who broke records and barriers, ensuring that their mark on sport and society is not forgotten."
On the football field, the Spartans captured back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships in 1965 and 1966, posting a combined record of 19 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. The one tie came in the historic 1966 Game of the Century against No. 1 Notre Dame, a 10-10 result in Spartan Stadium on Nov. 19.
Although the athletic achievements were exceptional, what separates these teams from other champions is their impact on society. They sparked national changes not just in college football, but also college athletics. Daugherty was one of the first college football coaches to compile a roster consisting of a racially integrated team, including many Black players from the South, breaking down racial barriers and changing the college football landscape forever. In a decade where many major programs remained segregated, the 1965 team had 23 Black players on its roster and the 1966 team had 20 Black players, including 12 starters – numbers that were unprecedented at the time.
Under Daugherty, players had individual success both athletically and academically, as 20 players earned All-Big Ten accolades in 1965, only to be topped by 21 earning all-conference recognition in 1966. Numerous academic All-Conference, All-Region and All-American accolades were earned, including two Academic All-Americans in each of the 1965 and '66 seasons. The 1967 NFL Draft included four Michigan State players in the top eight selections, and all four of them were Black (Jones, Smith, Washington and Webster).
In 2024, the 1965 and 1966 football teams became the only teams ever inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Â
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