The Big Ten Conference has unveiled Michigan State's 2024 football schedule as well as that of every other member in the conference. The Big Ten, in the announcement, also disclosed other new changes to its competition format.
The changes include the joining of two new members, USC and UCLA, and the dropping of the current divisional format in favor of the new arrangement.
The new arrangement makes provisions for each team to have up to three protected rivalry games as well as two-play opponents who go on home and away legs over two seasons.
Below are the details of Michigan State's 2024 football schedule:
Michigan State's 2024 football schedule
The University of Michigan is featured as the Spartans’ protected rival. The non-conference fixtures in the schedule are as follows:
- Michigan State vs Florida Atlantic on August 31
- Michigan State vs Louisiana on September 14
- Boston College vs Michigan State on September 21
Michigan State has the following conference matchups:
- Michigan vs Michigan State
- Maryland vs Michigan State
- Nebraska vs Michigan State
- Penn State vs Michigan State
- Michigan State vs Illinois
- Michigan State vs Indiana
- Michigan State vs Ohio State
- Michigan State vs Purdue
- Michigan State vs Rutgers
No exact dates have yet been announced yet for the conference matchups. The only dates confirmed so far for Michigan State in 2024 are the dates of the non-conference games.
The football schedule for 2025
Michigan State will kickstart the 2025 season with non-conference games. Dates have been confirmed for all three non-conference matchups that open the 2025 season for the Spartans:
- Michigan State vs Western Michigan on August 30
- Michigan State vs Youngstown State on September 6
- Michigan State vs Boston College on September 20
The conference opponents of the Spartans have been confirmed as well, but the dates of their encounters are yet to be announced. The rivalry game with Michigan will be featured in the schedule again, based on the new protected rivalry arrangement. The schedule is as follows:
- Indiana vs Michigan State
- Iowa vs Michigan State
- Minnesota vs Michigan State
- USC vs Michigan State
- Wisconsin vs Michigan State
- Michigan State vs Northwestern
- Michigan State vs Penn State
- Michigan State vs UCLA
- Michigan State vs Michigan
Season outlook for Michigan State in 2024 and 2025
The 2024 football schedule will see the Spartans taking on the road to face their conference opponents four times. One of these is their rivalry game against Michigan at Ann Arbor which is surely going to be a tough one. Penn State is another difficult opponent the Spartans are traveling to meet.
In 2025, the reverse leg will see them hosting Michigan. This does not guarantee an easy tie, regardless, but the game will be exciting nonetheless. Penn State will also be traveling down to face the Spartans in 2025.
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