By Adeniyi Precious 
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo is as loyal as they come—at least when it comes to college hoops. He’s been with the Spartans since 1983, first as an assistant and then as head coach starting in 1995. But when it comes to the NFL? Well, that’s a different story.
Despite the long-standing rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, Izzo openly supports both teams. How does that even work?
Turns out, it’s a mix of hometown ties and personal connections. Izzo grew up in Michigan near the Wisconsin border, so he naturally gravitated toward the Packers as a kid. But once he took the job at Michigan State, his allegiances started to shift. Things really got complicated in 2003 when his childhood friend Steve Mariucci took over as the Lions’ head coach. That made it easy for Izzo to start cheering for Detroit, too.
“I still like the Packers … I still pull for them,” Izzo admitted on Up & Adams Show. “But I’m trying to stay in the times. I gotta adjust a little bit.”
He even joked that while he still owns a classic cheesehead (the iconic Packer fan headgear), he keeps it “on bait” rather than wearing it proudly.
For most fans, picking between the Lions and Packers is non-negotiable. But Izzo? He’s managed to walk the line between both, proving that sometimes, sports loyalty isn’t so black and white.