When your two major sports, your two revenue sports, are going

The words of Tom Izzo, a leader not only of men but of institutions, strike with clarity and force: “When your two major sports, your two revenue sports, are going well, that bodes well for the whole university.” In this observation, Izzo unveils a truth about the deep connection between athletics and community. It is not merely the success of games that matters, but the way in which victory breathes life into an entire body, lifting up not just the players but the students, faculty, and even the reputation of the university itself.

The meaning of this quote lies in the recognition that sports are not separate from the life of a school, but central to its identity. When the great engines of revenue — usually football and basketball in the American university system — thrive, they do more than fill coffers. They fill hearts with pride, halls with energy, and campuses with unity. Victories bring students together in one voice, awaken alumni across the world, and attract new generations eager to belong to something larger than themselves. In this way, sport becomes not merely competition, but a banner under which the entire institution marches.

The origin of Izzo’s statement can be traced to his own life as the long-standing coach of Michigan State basketball. He has witnessed firsthand how a thriving sports program uplifts the entire university. When Spartan basketball succeeds, it is not only the athletes who benefit but the whole school that feels the radiance: applications rise, donations increase, and the name of Michigan State travels farther and louder than any single academic advertisement could achieve. In this, Izzo acknowledges the power of athletics as the beating heart of a university.

History offers us many mirrors of this truth. In ancient Greece, the Olympic victories of one citizen brought honor not to the man alone but to the polis, the city-state itself. The champion’s triumphs were carved into stone, celebrated by poets, and credited to the greatness of his homeland. In much the same way, when Notre Dame football wins or Duke basketball rises, it is not only players who are lifted, but the prestige of the entire university that is magnified. Sport has always been a vessel of collective pride, carrying the name of the community into realms it could not reach alone.

Yet there is more here than pride. Izzo’s words also acknowledge the practical power of success: money flows into the university through thriving sports, sustaining scholarships, improving facilities, and creating opportunities that extend beyond the playing field. Athletics becomes the forge that strengthens other parts of the institution, from academics to research, from the arts to student life. Thus, when the great pillars of sport stand strong, the entire structure of the university stands taller.

The lesson we may draw is not limited to universities, but extends to all endeavors of life. When the great pillars of our lives — family, health, purpose, and community — are nurtured and strong, they sustain everything else we build. Neglect them, and the entire structure falters. Success in one vital area often creates momentum in others, just as victory on the field sparks vitality in the classroom. To live wisely is to know which “major sports” of your own soul and household must be guarded and nourished.

So let us hear Izzo’s words as both reflection and command. In universities, as in life, strength flows outward from the central pillars. Guard them well, tend them with discipline, and rejoice when they flourish. For when the great engines of purpose thrive, all else will rise with them. As the victory of the team becomes the victory of the school, so too will the triumph of one vital part of our life strengthen the whole.