Reports of the Big Ten’s demise have been greatly exaggerated (I’m an SEC loyalist stuck in the midst of the heartland, but must nonetheless give them their due). Urban Meyer’s raising the program’s level of excellence while coaching at Ohio State Univ. (sorry, no capitalized “the” as an identifier from me) may have received more media accolades, but Mark Dantonio’s gradual construction of the formidable Michigan St. Univ. squad – which earned a Big Ten Title and a spot in the College Football Playoff – merits consideration as one of the top accomplishments in his profession.
Naturally, a great team deserves superior graphics in its locker room. Britten Studios (Traverse City, MI), which has produced banners, environmental graphics and the hardware that supports them for approximately 30 years, won the opportunity to dress up the Spartans’ locker room with approximately 2,800 sq. ft. of magnetic-media graphics. John Duimstra, a Britten sales executive, initiated the project by contacting IDS, the Troy, MI-based architectural firm that designed the facility’s renovation, and outlined his shop’s qualifications. Roughly one month later, IDS considered Britten for the locker-room graphics and requested samples; their candidacy was successful.
Each Spartan player posed for a photo shot, and his image was secured to his own locker. The graphics feature logos from each bowl in which the player participated, a rendition of the Paul Bunyan axe for each year the team beat archrival Michigan. Surplus lockers used for storage depict motivational messages and images.
“We worked with the locker manufacturer to develop new locker doors that feature a magnetically receptive laminate, and the result is fantastic and is more accommodating of graphic changeouts,” he said. “We have a lot of Michigan State fans at our company, so it was exciting for everyone involved.”