It’s there that the Scofes brothers, natives of Greece and owners of the Cup, regaled MSU bigwigs with the tale of the 300 Spartan warriors who in 480 B.C, though vastly outmanned, defeated a horde of Persian soldiers numbered in the thousands. This tale of guts and glory was more than enough to convince the officials—the Michigan State Sport Ons soon became the Spartans, and the rest is history.