What MSU Basketball Taught Me About Communication
By Maddie Strauss
As a PR student, I’ve spent a lot of time learning about strategy, messaging, and audience behavior in the classroom, but I never expected MSU basketball to reinforce those lessons. The Izzone has a reputation as one of the best student sections in college basketball, and as a section leader in those first rows of the lower bowl, you understand why. It’s the tradition, the chaos, the pride, and the way thousands of students can create a real home-court advantage that even opposing coaches and TV announcers acknowledge.
From behind the basket, I have seen that it’s communication that makes that atmosphere possible, and those same skills have carried into my early career in PR. Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Clear roles create stronger teams
Coach Izzo is known for clearly defining roles. Everyone understands their job, and when players do those jobs well, the team becomes stronger than the sum of its parts. I’ve learned the same lesson behind the basket. As an Izzone section leader, I help prepare rosters, newspapers, props and even the handwritten starting-lineup “insults” fans use during introductions. On game days, coordination continues, especially during free throws. One of the most rewarding moments this season was the first time our group of section leaders executed a perfectly cohesive distraction. The opposing player missed both free throws, and our preparation paid off.
Clear roles create strong teams. In PR, defining your goals, outlining responsibilities, and understanding how each person contributes is crucial. When everyone knows their part, the work becomes smoother, stronger, and more effective
2. Timing changes everything.
Basketball is full of split-second decisions: when to call a timeout, when to adjust, when to push tempo. The Izzone has its own timing strategy with the shot-clock chant. We start counting down from seven when the clock hits ten, creating pressure and forcing rushed decisions. It’s one of the moments when you actually feel the student section influencing the game.
Timing can define how a message is received, whether it’s launching a campaign, pitching a story, or responding to an issue. When you communicate, it matters just as much as what you communicate. A well-timed message meets people where they are and shapes how they perceive it.
3. You have to pivot when the moment changes.
Coach Izzo doesn’t settle. Even after a win, if the team played poorly, he says so. He’s always pushing the team to adjust, improve, and respond in real time to what’s happening. The Izzone works the same way. As a section leader, I constantly read the energy and redirect when needed. Maybe a chant suddenly feels off after a call, or maybe student behavior is inching toward inappropriate and addressing it might make the situation worse. You make decisions quickly and shift with the moment.
PR requires the same mindset. Things change fast, and communicators have to adapt with accuracy and composure. Campaigns evolve, issues emerge, and public sentiment shifts. Being able to pivot with purpose is a skill that defines strong communicators.
4. Cohesion takes real work behind the scenes.
From the outside, the Izzone looks spontaneous. Loud. Energetic. Constantly in motion. But everything that looks effortless is actually carefully planned: materials prepared in advance, coordinated cues, collaboration with athletics marketing, and constant communication among leaders. When the crowd erupts after a Coen Carr dunk and the energy stays high, that’s no accident. That’s the intention.
Cohesive communication doesn’t happen by accident. Strong messaging, a consistent tone, and a unified strategy all come from planning long before anything goes public. The most seamless PR work is often the result of the most preparation.
I never expected to learn communication lessons from basketball, but MSU has a way of teaching you in unexpected places. Between Coach Izzo’s leadership and the Izzone’s coordination, I’ve learned fundamentals I carry into my early PR career: clarity, timing, adaptability and intentional preparation. I’m sure Coach Izzo didn’t set out to teach me any of this, but I’m grateful I learned it anyway.
