Michigan State’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo isn’t going anywhere—at least not yet. But he’s clearly got a lot on his mind about the state of college sports, and he made that known during his recent end-of-season press conference.
Not Your Typical End-of-Season Presser
Izzo, 70, used his end-of-the-season press conference to reflect on the chaos gripping college athletics: from the transfer portal’s instability to the influence of NIL deals and the NCAA’s failure to implement meaningful guardrails.
“We’ve created a bad system,” Izzo said as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. “There’s been a bad system created by the adults, and the players are being forced to navigate that.”
Izzo’s Frustration With the Current State of the Game
The legendary coach didn’t mince words when describing what he views as the root of the problem. He explained that college sports has been driven more by crisis management than thoughtful planning. And it’s the young athletes who are left to deal with the fallout.
“We didn’t do a very good job, in my mind, as adults, as the people that are supposed to know better,” he said. “So now, we are dealing with the crisis of it.”
So… Is He Thinking About Retiring?
Despite the frustrations, Izzo made it clear that he’s not ready to walk away from the game he loves.
“I still have a passion. I still have energy. I still want to make a difference,” he said. “I gave in last year to begging the committees, then it hits you again. I mean, it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. But it hasn’t gotten so bad where I’m ready to give in to what a lot of people think I should give in to. I’m still fist-fighting the fight.”
Still Living the Dream
Izzo’s love for the game and the impact he has on players is what keeps him going. From the emotional locker room moments to watching his players achieve their NBA dreams, it’s clear that this job still means everything to him.
“I’m still living the dream. Is it a little bit foggy? Hell yeah, it is. Is it a little bit harder to navigate? Hell yeah, it is,” he said. “But I got no interest in hanging it up when I still have the passion, the love for the game.”
The Bottom Line
Tom Izzo may be frustrated by the direction of college athletics, but he’s not finished fighting for what he believes in. He’s sticking around—not because it’s easy, but because he still cares deeply about his players, his program, and the game of basketball.
