PHOTO: Spartan Nation hoped continuity returned with the alignment of Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz (L) hiring athletic director J Batt (R) and both identifying Pat Fitzgerald in December as the Spartans’ new football coach.

Visit my homepage: TomShanahan.Report

— Click here for book review and purchase link: THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s and here for a purchase link to RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.

— Watch a three-minute video to learn about our documentary at the fundraising stage, GAME CHANGERS OF THE CENTURY, and the Investment Deck.

— Documentary synopsis: Duffy documentary snynopsis.pdf – Google Drive

— I will debate anybody, anytime, anywhere Duffy Daugherty led college football integration

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By TOM SHANAHAN

Notre Dame’s Rocky Bleier, a four-time Super Bowl champion, and Michigan State College Football Hall of Famer Clinton Jones joined me to record Part II of a series on the 60^th anniversary of the 1966 Game of the Century.

But with the podcast recorded the day Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz departed for Clemson due to conflicts with the Board of Trustees undermining his leadership, I asked Bleier and Jones about program stability in their time as college athletes.

In 1966, Notre Dame president Father Theodore Hesburgh was in the 15^th year of a 35-year tenure, athletic director Moose Krause the 18^th of 32 and football coach Ara Parseghian the third of 11 seasons.

Michigan State president John Hannah was in the 26^th of 28 years in office, athletic director Biggie Munn the 13^th of 18 and Daugherty, upon succeeding Munn, the 13^th of 19. Hannah hired Munn in 1947 from Syracuse, and Munn brought Daugherty with him as his top assistant.

Here’s the short clip:

COMING SOON: The full video podcast with Rocky Bleier and Clinton Jones on the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Game of the Century. It will be posted as the 20th episode of Duffy Daugherty’s Milestone Minutes.

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Hannah’s friendship with Notre Dame’s presidents Father John Cavanaugh (1946-52) and Hesburgh (1952-87) led to Notre Dame agreeing to an annual rivalry that began in 1948. Hannah wanted the series to gain credibility in his quest for Michigan State to gain Big Ten membership.

The teams played every year but 1953, 1959, 1995 and 1996 until conference expansion scheduling conflicts led to Notre Dame dropping the Spartans after the 2013 season. The teams renewed for home-and-home 50^th anniversary games, 2016 and 2017, and again for the 60^th, 2026 and 2027.

Michigan State is Notre Dame’s fourth oldest rivalry behind Navy, USC and Purdue. In Notre Dame’s long history, only USC (37) has more wins over Notre Dame than Michigan State (29).

Michigan State and Notre Dame will recognize the epic showdown for a quasi-national title when the Spartans play on September 19 at Notre Dame Stadium.

On Thursday, Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald posted this message on Twitter about Guskiewicz:

“All the best to @KevinGuskiewicz and his family as they begin a new chapter. I’m grateful for the belief he showed in me and the tremendous support he showed our program and all of Spartan Athletics.”

The upcoming Duffy’s Milestone Minutes video podcast focused on the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the military draft on the Notre Dame-Michigan State game that ended in a controversial 10-10 tie.

Bleier, who was wounded in Vietnam before recovering to win four Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was one of six players (two Notre Dame, four Michigan State) who served in Vietnam.

Notre Dame’s players were Bleier and backup safety Mike Burgerner. Michigan State’s Vietnam vets were Eric Marshall, Mike Pruitt, Jimmy Hoye and John Kuettner

It’s safe to say no one from the 2025 Indiana-Miami national championship game will be serving in Iran or another possible upcoming military conflict.

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Duffy’s Milestone Minutes, the 1966 Game of the Century’s 60th anniversary, Part I:

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— My chance to tell the true stories of college football integration on The Spiro Avenue Show – Tom Shanahan Report

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055

I’ll put my facts on the true pioneers of college football integration versus Bear Bryant fairytales against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation and Alabama.

— Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter with two books on college football integration, “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans,” and “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” They are the most accurate accounts of college football integration in the 1950s and 1960s. They also debunk myths about the 1970 USC-Alabama game. The false narrative co-opted the stories of the true pioneers who stood up to Jim Crow and the KKK.

— Two children’s books also explain Michigan State College Football Hall of Fame coach Duffy Daugherty’s impact on integration through the Underground Railroad and the Hawaiian Pipeline: “DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD” and “HOW DUFFY PUT HAWAII ON AMERICA’S FOOTBALL MAP.”

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PURCHASE LINKS, non-fiction books

— RAYE OF LIGHT, August Publications or on Amazon.

— THE RIGHT THING TO DO, August Publications or on Amazon.

PURCHASE LINKS, children’s books

— DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: Order from Barnes and Noble here and Amazon here. 

— HOW DUFFY PUT HAWAII ON AMERICA’S FOOTBALL MAP. Order here:

How Duffy Put Hawaii On America’s Football Map by Tom Shanahan, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Amazon.com: How Duffy Put Hawaii On America’s Football Map eBook : Shanahan, Tom: Kindle Store