Lansing Sun

Michigan State and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame will honor Coach Mark Dantonio, a 2024 College Football Hall of Fame electee, with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute. The event, presented by Fidelity Investments®, will occur on Saturday, Sept. 28, during the Spartans' home game against Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.

"The all-time winningest coach in Michigan State history, Mark Dantonio led the Spartans to three Big Ten championships, a Rose Bowl win and a berth in the 2015 College Football Playoff," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are thrilled to honor him at Spartan Stadium as a member of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class."

The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program began in 1951 with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class. During these events, each electee returns to their respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that remains on permanent display at the institution.

For his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Dantonio's name will be added to the Spartan Stadium Ring of Fame.

"I hope every one of these players that are here... sees a little bit of their name up on that award," said Dantonio at an event honoring him Friday night at the Izzo Hall of History before former players, staff and administrators. "You don't get there without a lot of people... When we came here, we wanted to build a legacy."

Dantonio recorded a 114-57 record during his 13 years in East Lansing and an 18-17 mark during his three seasons at Cincinnati for an overall record of 132-74 with a winning percentage of 64.1%. He won more Big Ten Championships (three) and bowl games (six) than any other coach in Spartan history while also ranking first with 12 bowl appearances.

Coach Dantonio becomes the fifth Michigan State head coach to enter the College Football Hall of Fame and joins previous inductees from both Michigan State and Cincinnati.

The 2024 class includes notable names such as Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), Tim Couch (Kentucky), Warrick Dunn (Florida State), Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh), Randy Moss (Marshall), Julius Peppers (North Carolina), Paul Posluszny (Penn State), Alex Smith (Utah), Chris Ward (Ohio State), Danny Woodhead (Chadron State [NE]), among others.

The official induction for the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will take place at the National Football Foundation's 66th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Including this year's class, only 1,093 players and 233 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from nearly 5.78 million who have played or coached over the past 156 years.

Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor for these salutes since 2010. They also sponsor other NFF initiatives celebrating scholar-athletes and higher education contributions.