Kevin Vaughn packed his bags and left Michigan soon after receiving his third Stanley Cup Championship ring in 2002. A sports fanatic and creative promoter, Vaughn sought new professional challenges following a fruitful eight-year tenure as a marketing executive with the Detroit Red Wings.
He arrived in Arizona excited for the next chapter of life—but he wasn’t looking to leave everything behind.
“When I got out here, I just really wanted to get involved with other people from Michigan State,” Vaughn said. “Instead of sitting alone on the couch, I wanted a group in Phoenix to go and have fun with.”
What started as a way to bond with other Michigan State fans and cheer for Spartan athletics has evolved into one of the university’s top alumni clubs. Boasting some of the largest MSU game watch parties in the nation, a perennially successful fundraising program and an expansive network of supportive alums, the Arizona Spartans have become the standard-bearer for similar groups.
Over 7,000 Spartans call Arizona home with around 4,500 in the Phoenix area where the Arizona Spartans are based. Together with the Tucson Spartans to the south, the AZ Spartans have built an expansive network across the southwest.
With the Red Wings, Vaughn learned the secret behind building a winning brand. It’s a model he’s carried with him to the Arizona Spartans.
“There was a lot of excitement winning Stanley Cups,” Vaughn said. “I’m trying to bring a little bit of that to Arizona around Michigan State. We’re all passionate about Michigan State.”
Vaughn was not alone in his pursuit of community and there was no shortage of local Spartans ready to join forces. Among them, Ann Burnett emerged as one of the group’s largest supporters—and eventually their first president.
Burnett hails from a Michigan State family. Through her father, she has been a season ticket holder for Spartan football for nearly 70 years. She moved to Arizona in the 90s, raising four children (including two who went to MSU) with her husband. Her love for athletics and natural business acumen helped move the AZ Spartans from a like-minded collective to an official club in 2012.
Today, there are 15 board members involved in organizing and engaging the thousands of alumni that call Arizona home. The club’s busy event schedule is well attended, highlighted by game watches at a local club, Wasted Grain in Scottsdale, that draw upwards of 500 attendees.
“Our game watches are epic,” Burnett said. “We’ve been with the same bar for the past 10 years. It’s unbelievable. Anybody who has ever been there knows we have the best watches in the country.”
Game watches are an entry into a wider agenda for the club’s retinue. Social events, such as nature hikes and Euchre tournaments, offer distinctive experiences, and the club’s service calendar is nearly as epic as its game watches. A frequent collaboration with community food bank, Mom’s Pantry, is one of many charitable programs. The club also has coordinated with veteran organizations, animal rescues, food banks and more.
“It’s nice because it brings a different mix of people,” Burnett said. “We’ve met so many great people out here in Arizona that I don’t think we would’ve met otherwise.”
That is what brought current president Greg Wittcoff into the fold. He received his MBA from MSU in 2013 and moved to Arizona soon after. Despite completing his undergrad in Washington D.C., he considers himself a Spartan first and foremost.
The active Spartan alumni scene in Arizona made what could have been a lonely transition to a new home much easier. He quickly found a role on the board and was named president in 2023.
“For me, it’s having that network, having that bond,” Wittcoff said. “Being able to have an in or have that connection is key, whether it’s career-wise or social-wise, it’s just such a benefit to be part of a larger group.”
Under Wittcoff’s leadership, the club has continued its legacy as a model of alumni engagement. Other clubs from Texas and Florida have turned to the AZ Spartans for guidance in building a Spartan community and investing in local students. The group has raised over $500,000 over the past 12 years for the AZ Spartans Endowed Scholarship to help Arizona students attend MSU.
“We all want to see Michigan State successful. We all want to help Michigan State in any way that we can,” Vaughn said. “Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.”
Learn more about getting involved and find a club near you: https://alumni.msu.edu/connect/alum-communities/community-locator