Michigan State issues statement after Hitler image fiasco

Sep 4, 2015; Kalamazoo, MI, USA; General view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on field prior to a game against Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan State-Michigan rivalry game yielded some controversy on Saturday that had nothing to do with the play on the field.

The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 49-0 in a one-sided affair at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.

A picture of Adolf Hitler was flashed on the videoboard during the contest. The image was shown as part of a trivia question about the dictator’s place of birth.

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— Alexander Haenke (@aphaenke) October 21, 2023

The photo posted on X has been viewed over two million times as of writing.

Michigan State associate athletic director Matt Larson released a statement after the image went viral on social media. Larson explained that the stadium uses a third-party source for the in-game trivia and vowed to tighten screening procedures in the future.

“We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values,” said Larson, via ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren. “MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”

Michigan State’s 49-point loss Saturday was their worst defeat against Michigan since 1947. The Wolverines won that contest 55-0.