Schafer gift promotes athletic and scholarly achievement

Thousands of Spartans routinely show their support for Spartan men’s basketball—packing Final Four pep rallies, peppering the MSU community with “We love Izzo” signs and contributing to improvements at Breslin Center. Yet one fan’s commitment still astonished Head Coach Tom Izzo.     

Chuck Schafer (MBA, ’73) recently established a future gift by naming the Michigan State men’s basketball program as a substantial beneficiary of his estate. For Coach Izzo, whose recent declaration that he was “a Spartan for life” put an end to speculation on his constancy at MSU, Chuck’s gift is strong validation for allegiance to Michigan State.

“In its own way, Chuck’s gift says why I made the decision. Because there are people here who care,” Izzo said.  “His gift will help give us the ability to do things in a first-class way. It will definitely make a difference in making Michigan State basketball a top-notch program, one that graduates people with a top-notch education. I am so appreciative of the trust Chuck has put in Michigan State.”

When received, Chuck’s bequest will fund an endowment to support the men’s basketball program by providing scholarships for student-athletes, something both men hope will raise awareness about the academic quality of the program. 

 “I had parents who were very focused on education and, to me, providing scholarships means just that: it is scholarship,” Chuck said. “You want kids to be very good athletes but also to understand the importance of their education.”

A lifelong Michigan resident, Chuck entered MSU’s MBA program in accounting following his undergraduate education at Albion College. He credits his Michigan State education with solidifying the course of his life, leading to his successful career as an owner of a regional public accounting and financial services firm, Rehmann Robson. “I don’t believe I would be standing where I am today if not for going to MSU,” he said.

While Chuck deliberated long and hard on the legacy he wanted to leave one day, supporting men’s basketball student-athletes at MSU resonated with him on many levels. 

 “I played basketball for 50 years,” Chuck said. “The bottom line is that I am a basketball fan and a true lover of Michigan State. More than all of that, I am a fan of education.” 

“Chuck’s contribution and leadership in supporting our program takes the concept of being a Spartan for life to an entirely new level,” said MSU Director of Athletics Mark Hollis. “External support of this magnitude is critical to our success and we cannot thank him enough. We are sincerely grateful.”