RETIREMENT PLAN: Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo Buys $39M Georgia Ranch for Ultimate Outdoor Playground: “I Wanted a Place to Wakesurf, Hunt, and Build a Racetrack with My Family”
Blue Ridge Mountains, GA — June 26, 2025
After more than 30 legendary seasons at the helm of Michigan State basketball, Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo is laying the groundwork for his next chapter — and it’s as bold and distinctive as the man himself.
Izzo has purchased a sprawling $39 million ranch nestled in the rolling foothills of northern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The 1,500-acre property — once a private equestrian estate — is being transformed into what insiders are calling “Izzo’s Playground,” a multi-purpose family retreat complete with lakeside amenities, hiking trails, a private airstrip, and yes, even a custom-built racetrack.
“I’ve spent my life drawing up plays on whiteboards and scouting opponents in packed arenas,” Izzo said with a grin during an exclusive CBS interview from the ranch’s main lodge. “Now, I just want to wake up, grab a fishing rod or hit the wakesurf board with my kids and grandkids. I wanted a place where family, fun, and nature all come together.”
The ranch boasts a 15-bedroom main residence, three guest cabins, a 10-stall horse barn, and panoramic views of the nearby Chattahoochee National Forest. Izzo’s plans include building a freshwater wakesurfing lake equipped with a regulation slalom course, a skeet shooting range, and a quarter-mile racetrack designed for go-karting, ATVs, and the occasional spin in a classic car from Izzo’s growing collection.
But this isn’t just a playground. Izzo has also allocated a portion of the land for a private leadership retreat center. “We’re calling it The Huddle,” said Izzo’s son, Steven, who is helping manage the project. “It’s going to be a place for athletes, students, veterans — anyone who’s looking to grow as a leader or just recharge in nature.”
The retreat will offer weekend programs focused on mental health, teamwork, and character-building, led by former athletes, coaches, and motivational speakers. The elder Izzo says the idea was born out of his decades of watching young people struggle with pressure and identity once their playing days ended.
“Too many players leave the game not knowing who they are outside of it,” he said. “I want this ranch to remind them that life is bigger than basketball — and it can be just as fulfilling.”
Sources close to the family say the purchase does not signal an immediate retirement but rather a long-term plan for what’s next. Izzo’s current contract with Michigan State runs through 2027, but the coach has hinted that he’s already grooming successors and slowly stepping back from daily recruiting duties.
“I’ll always be a Spartan,” he said. “But it’s time I start living like the rest of the world — no press conferences, no 5 a.m. film sessions. Just family, freedom, and the open Georgia sky.”
Whether it’s chasing a Final Four or carving dirt trails on an ATV, one thing is clear — Tom Izzo is still building a legacy, just with a different kind of court.
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