The University of Michigan men’s basketball team will host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, five days after a shooting at MSU left three students dead and five more in serious condition.
To demonstrate support for the Spartans, Michigan Athletics announced Thursday that several recognitions will take place during the 8 p.m. game at the Crisler Center.
The demonstration of support will begin with the men’s basketball team, who will wear specially tailored warm-ups for the game, according to the University of Michigan.
During a Thursday game, the women’s squad donned white shirts with a green heart surrounding the Spartan emblem. The design has not been made public.
Moreover, 2,000 specially designed T-shirts will be given to student ticket holders and the Mazie Rage, the University of Missouri’s student cheering section. In the Maize Rage section, a 12-foot by 8-foot “Spartan Strong” flag will also be displayed.
Before the game begins, there will be a 30-second moment of quiet during which all fans will get programmable LED wristbands that will illuminate the arena in green and white.
Saturday, UM’s pep band will perform MSU’s alma mater, which it has learned.
As another show of solidarity, UM athletics said Wednesday various sports will have Spartan decals on their helmets, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
The athletics department did not specify which sports would participate, but lacrosse, hockey, baseball, and softball are among the in-season sports that need helmets.
Saturday is MSU’s first game since Monday’s campus shooting in East Lansing, which claimed the lives of students Arielle Anderson, Alexandria Verner, and Brian Fraser.
Anthony McRae, age 43, was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound hours later. McRae was unaffiliated with the university and its students. Public records listed him as a Lansing resident.
A message recovered with the suspect indicates that he may have felt slighted by businesses or individuals, while no official motive has been determined.