NCAA Basketball: 10 teams that will be hurt most from fan-less games

Michigan State Spartans

As a team frequently ranked and consequently playing games with little meaning on only the rarest occasions, Michigan State fans always show up on game-day, flooding the Breslin Center with green and white. But beyond just their undying presence, Spartan fans often separate themselves from the pack with their unique crowd chants or celebratory practices such as “bagel tossing,” which the fanbase partook in during their run to the Final Four as a seven seed five years ago.

Now to imagine Michigan State without their fans behind them remains an incredibly difficult task, as they lose an integral piece included within their unique and rambunctious identity. Given their dependence upon this incredible crowd, sweeping them out from underneath leaves the Spartans without a pillar, one much larger than that of most other programs, partially responsible for their program’s success.

Although certain to attain support from outside their arena’s walls from fans tuning in or across social media, this potential physical absence comes something entirely new for Tom Izzo and returning Spartan players to adjust too. Expect crunch time moments, opposing free throw attempts, and TV timeouts to change entirely, as the pressure normally applied onto opposing teams takes a noticeable hit.