The unthinkable occurred in East Lansing, Michigan, on March 15, 1963, during the middle of the Civil Rights movement and the second round of the 1963 NCAA Tournament when Mississippi State and Loyola played, marking the desegregation of college basketball.
Mississippi State (21-5) had an all-white team and was scheduled to play Loyola (25-2), an integrated team with four black starters. Except, there was a problem.
There was an unwritten law that teams from Mississippi would not play against black players. So when school President Dean W. Colvard announced he was sending the team to the tournament, several prominent state officials objected and tried to prevent players from leaving. However, the Bulldogs coach Babe McCarthy and his players created a decoy and took an uncharted plane at night to Michigan to avoid an injunction.
For years, the all-white Mississippi State team limited itself to only competing against other all-white teams. It had declined NCAA tournament invitations in previous seasons to avoid facing integrated teams.
On February 26, 1963, Mississippi State's student senate voted unanimously to have the Bulldogs accept the invitation with 2000 signatures. President Colvard received many calls, telegrams, and letters from people across Mississippi. Of the 389 letters in Mississippi State's archives, 333 favored going to the tournament. Several Mississippi legislators, including State Sen. Billy Mitts, State Rep. Russell Fox, and State Rep Walter Hester, expressed public disapproval. The public was polled, and 85% approved. On March 2, 1963, Colvard said he would send the team to the tournament "unless hindered by competent authority," but there were further issues.
Despite further approval by the College Board in an 8-3 vote, Governor Ross Barnett disapproved. That night, the deputy sheriff, Dot Johnson, reportedly received the injunction to stop them from getting on the plane to East Lansing. Fearing being stopped by authorities, coach Babe McCarthy left the state and drove north to Nashville. On March 14, the day before the game, the team sent trainer Dutch Luchsinger and five reserve players to the Starksville Airport as decoys.
However, the plane took off at 9:44am the following day without interference. It stopped over in Nashville to pick up McCarthy and some players before proceeding to the game site in East Lansing, Michigan. A justice of the Supreme Court from Mississippi dissolved the injunction later in the day.
On the day of the doubleheader, Jenison Fieldhouse had a reported crowd of 12,143, nearly at capacity. Illinois and Bowling Green played in game one, and Loyola-Mississippi State played in game two.
"The flashbulbs just went off unbelievably, and at that time, I knew this was more than just a game," Loyola captain Jerry Harkness said at the time. "It was history being made."
Mississippi State's coach McCarthy said Loyola's rebounding was the difference and said he thought his team would have had to play "a near-perfect game" to beat Loyola.
Before the game, somebody took a picture of Joe Dan Gold, a white player from Mississippi State, and Jerry Harkness, a black player from Loyola. The game was played with great sportsmanship, and Loyola prevailed 61-51. They would go on to beat Cincinnati for the championship.
Mississippi State beat Bowling Green in the consolation game 65-60. Upon landing at the airport in Starkville, Mississippi, they were met by a crowd of 700 fans. On November 24, 2013, the 1962–63 Loyola team was put into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the first time an entire team was inducted collectively.
Years later, in 2012, Michigan State played a game at Jenison Field House to mark the historic event and called it the "Jenison Jubilee." The Spartans hosted Tuskegee and played a reunion game the day before. Motown legends The Commodores provided a pre-game concert before the Tuskegee game. Loyola and Mississippi State played a game in Chicago, while Michigan State hosted Loyola at the Breslin Center. On the day of the Loyola-Michigan State game, officials unveiled a commemorative marker outside Jenison recognizing the 1963 game.
As the two teams tip off Thursday at 12:15pm to kick off the 2024 NCAA Tournament, it's worth remembering back to when a Bulldog and a Rambler shook hands at the Block S in East Lansing before playing the "Game of Change."
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