Public Media from Michigan State University

Matt Larson talks Spartan hoops and the evolving state of athletic communications

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Matt Larson, Tom Izzo
zimbio.com

As Tom Izzo begins his 25th season coaching Spartan basketball, Matt Larson begins his 21st season as one of the Hall of Fame coach’s key team members.

“I've certainly been blessed to be, for the last almost quarter century, witness to some great basketball,” says Larson. 

Larson tells how he graduated from Duke in 1998 and two years later was finishing his first season handling communications for the 2000 National Champion Spartans.

Matt Larson in the MSU Audio Studios.
Credit Russ White | MSU Today

“I’ve had a front row seat for the last 20 some years for the highs, the lows, and the relationships. These student athletes who come through here are more than just names and numbers on the back of jerseys. I get to see them mature through time. You see them grow as people; you see them grow as players.”

Larson previews the 2019/2020 version of the highly-rated Spartans, ranked number  1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball preseason poll for the first time in program history.

He discusses another challenging schedule facing the team and talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the sport of college basketball. And he describes how “sports information” has evolved into “athletic communications” over the course of his career.

MSU Today airs Sunday mornings at 9:00 on 105.1 FM and AM 870.

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