UCLA is just weeks away from starting its second season in the Big Ten. After capturing seven Big Ten championships during their first year in the conference, the Bruins will look to build upon their inaugural year. Prior to the start of UCLA’s second Big Ten campaign, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, basketball and other top programs from each school.

Men’s Basketball
2024 record: 30-7, 17-3 Big Ten, Elite Eight appearance
Coach: Tom Izzo
Player to Watch: Jeremy Fears Jr.

When it comes to consistency, this squad takes the cake.

Michigan State may not always earn the top seed or boast the best record – the Spartans had four straight seasons with double-digit losses before last year.

But you can count on them to make a postseason run.

The program holds the longest active NCAA tournament streak, with 27-straight appearances, all under the same coach.

Tom Izzo is the winningest coach in Michigan State history. He has led the squad to eleven Elite Eights, eight Final Fours and captured the national championship in 2000.

Most recently, he guided the Spartans to their best record in six years and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Their run ended in the Elite Eight, but they will likely return next year to spark a championship run.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is expected to return as the offensive leader. The guard recorded 7.2 points and a team-leading 5.4 assists per game last season, and his 38.9% assist rate ranked No. 9 in the nation.

The Joliet, Illinois, local will replace now-graduated guard Jaden Atkins – who led the team with 12.8 points per game and 58 3-pointers.

Jaxon Kohler will also return to the court and continue to anchor the defense. The forward led the team in rebounds and blocks last season with 276 and 29, respectively, and recorded eight double-doubles.

The Spartans have also added plenty of new talent to stay in the hunt.

Transfer guard Trey Fort – who led Samford with 14.6 points per game – adds scoring punch. Izzo also recruited four-star recruits forwards Jordan Scott and Cam Ward.

The Spartans should see their 28th tournament with Izzo steering the ship.

Gymnastics
2024 record: 29-8, 8-1 Big Ten, NCAA Championship semifinal appearance
Coach: Mike Rowe
Player to Watch: Nikki Smith

Dynasties are not built in a day.

But what takes years to establish lasts long into the future.

Michigan State gymnastics concluded the 2025 season as the No. 6 squad in the nation – its highest finish in program history.

The Spartans recorded a 197.360 team NQS, ranking fourth on vault and seventh on bars. They hit 198.000 twice and never fell below 196.650.

The Spartans even reached the national championship – ending a 37-year drought.

Coach Mike Rowe has steadily elevated the team since he became head honcho in 2017. The squad has finished in the top 15 every year since 2022, after a dozen sub-25 finishes.

And the squad shows no signs of slowing down.

The Spartans will return top all-arounder, Nikki Smith. The West Bloomfield, Michigan, local ranked No. 21 nationally in the all around with a 39.485 NQS. She impressed on vault, ranking No. 4 with a 9.935 NQS, and also posted NQS marks that eclipsed 9.900 on bars and floor.

Although Smith and other key returners will anchor the squad next season, the graduations of Gabrielle Stephen and Skyla Schulte left gaps to fill. Stephen was the lone Spartan to notch a perfect ten – and she did it twice, on beam and vault. Schulte was the top Spartan on floor, recording an NQS of 9.920 that ranked 25th nationally.

Michigan State isn’t looking back, though. The Spartans are bringing in the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation. The class features three four-star recruits, headlined by 2024 Romanian Olympian Lilia Cosman.

The Spartans look poised for another successful run.

Football
2024 record: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten
Coach: Jonathan Smith
Player to Watch: Nick Marsh

It is easy to get stuck in the middle in an 18-team conference.

That holds true for Michigan State, who posted mediocre stats last season, ranking 11th in passing yards per game, ninth in passing yards allowed and ninth in rushing yards allowed.

And they seem destined for another good-but-not-great run this season.

The Spartans are returning quarterback Aidan Chiles, who recorded a 59% completion percentage and threw for 2,415 yards during his inaugural season in East Lansing, Michigan. The signal caller transferred from Oregon State in 2024 and tied UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers for a conference-high 11 interceptions last season.

But Michigan State struggled on the ground too – its 1384 rushing yards were good for 110th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

However, a talented receiving corps looks to better assist Chiles this season. Wide receiver Nick Marsh will continue to build upon his standout freshman campaign, setting the school record for most receiving yards and receptions by a true freshman with 649 and 41, respectively.

And wide receiver transfers Omari Kelly and Crishon McCray will supplement Marsh’s talent. The former recorded 53 receptions for 869 yards at Middle Tennessee State last season, and the latter notched 705 receiving yards at Kent State.

The Spartans have the pieces to move the needle with Chiles under center and strong outside weapons – but they have yet to prove that they have what it takes to break away from the pack.

Women’s Basketball
2024 record: 22-10, 11-7 Big Ten, NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance
Coach: Robyn Fralick
Player to Watch: Grace VanSlooten

Big changes come with big risks.

But in some cases, change unlocks a team’s full potential.

Coach Robyn Fralick joined the Spartans as the head honcho in 2023, and the program felt her presence immediately. After a 16-14 record in 2022-23, Fralick guided the squad to a 22-9 finish the next season – their best record in nearly a decade.

And the program looks steady heading into her third season.

Forward Grace VanSlooten is returning and will likely serve as the team’s offensive linchpin. Transferring from Oregon prior to last season, Vanslooten led the squad with 15.5 points per game and tied the team high mark in rebounds per contest with 7.3.

Theryn Hallock will also return. The guard posted 13.3 points per game and 2.8 assists per game last season, alongside a team-high 82% free throw clip.

Although two of Michigan State’s most prolific guards graduated last offseason in Julia Ayrault and Jaddan Simmons, a pair of transfers look to replace them.

Guard Jalyn Brown transferred from Arizona State after averaging 18 points per game last season. Purdue transfer guard Rashunda Jones, who chipped in 9.8 points per game and 3.7 assists per night, will join Brown in the backcourt.

The Spartans also secured a top-25 recruiting class that features guard Jordan Ode – the No. 33 recruit in the nation.

Fralick’s squad is built to compete, so don’t be surprised if the Spartans return for a strong postseason showing.