2023 Penn State vs. Michigan State game moved to Black Friday at Ford Field
Over the weekend, ESPN reported that Michigan State's 2023 matchup with Penn State will be played on Black Friday (Nov. 24).
Now, Michigan State Athletics has made that official, with another surprise. The contest will be played at Ford Field in Detroit at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. It will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
"This is a unique opportunity, for both our football program and our fan base, to play a Black Friday game at Ford Field," MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller said in a statement. "Southeast Michigan is home to 100,000 alums, nearly 50 percent of our student body and countless more Spartan fans. Our men's basketball team has experienced tremendous support in Detroit, both at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena, and we're excited to bring Spartan Football to our fans in the Motor City. The city is important to our mission not only as an athletic department, but our entire University. We anticipate that the experience will be so much more than a football game for our Spartan faithful.
"The decision to move a home game out of Spartan Stadium was given careful consideration, as we understand the impact it will have on some fans. As a community partner, we recognize home football brings benefits to the entire Mid-Michigan area. The fact that this game falls on a holiday weekend Friday increased our willingness make the move. I believe our season ticket holders still have a strong collection of home games highlighted by Michigan and a premier non-conference game against Washington, with a total of six home games just as we had in 2021."
Spartans Illustrated was expecting a prime-time matchup and noted that playing a Black Friday night game was a unique challenge due to the late-November weather and travel plans for fans, among other reasons. Playing in an indoor stadium will at least quell the weather concerns, but moving the game to Ford Field also may alter plans for season ticket holders and student season pass holders who have already paid for their 2023 season ticket packages.
The game at Ford Field will be sold as a standalone event. Spartan Fund donors and season ticket holders will "have the opportunity to purchase tickets in Spartan Fund donor priority order," according to MSU Athletics. However, season ticket holders and student season pass holders who have already paid for their 2023 packages will be refunded for tickets and parking to the previously scheduled game versus Penn State at Spartan Stadium.
Ford Field will have designated sections in the lower bowl for Michigan State students, and 2023 student season pass holders will have priority to claim those seats.
More details and on-sale dates for tickets will be announced in the "near future."
"This is an exciting opportunity for our program to play in prime-time on a holiday weekend," MSU head football coach Mel Tucker said. "Our players will be able to compete in an NFL environment while being showcased in the national spotlight. I'm looking forward to our fans creating a loud atmosphere and giving us a home-field advantage at Ford Field."
The game being played at Ford Field also affects the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) football playoffs, as state championship games have been moved from Friday and Saturday of that weekend to Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 25 and Nov. 26). This is considered to be a one-time accommodation.
Haller praised the MHSAA and the Detroit Lions for their willingness and flexibility to move the game to Ford Field.
"Moving a game to Ford Field requires significant cooperation among different organizations," Haller said. "The Detroit Lions have been exceptional to work with and were on board right away to facilitate this move. Over the years, we've had the opportunity to work with their staff on different events, and our existing relationships allowed us to move quickly through this process.
"I'd also like to give a tremendous thank you to the MHSAA for their flexibility and willingness to adjust their championship schedule. They too have been an outstanding community partner for quite some time. Through cooperation and ingenuity this will be a memorable holiday weekend of football, benefitting the Detroit Lions and Ford Field, Michigan State University and Spartan Football, the MHSAA, and most of all the city of Detroit."
The Lions will host the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field the day before the Michigan State-Penn State tilt for a Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23) game at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX.
The Spartans last played a football game in Detroit against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 11, 2010, which MSU won 30-17 at Ford Field. FAU had to move its "home" game to Michigan because its then-new on-campus football stadium was not yet ready to be opened. FAU controlled ticket sales and marketing for that event.
Additional quotes:
Detroit Lions President and CEO Rod Wood: "We are thrilled to be partnering with the Big Ten Conference to host a game at Ford Field. Thanksgiving weekend in Detroit is synonymous with football and being able to add a marquee Big Ten game only elevates the weekend. We are proud to be hosting NFL football, Big Ten Football and the Michigan high school football championships in downtown Detroit and look forward to the energy and excitement of the holiday weekend. The Detroit Lions and Ford Field are committed to growing the game and the football community throughout the State of Michigan."
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti: "The Big Ten Conference is thrilled that Michigan State will be hosting Penn State at Ford Field in prime-time on NBC. We are incredibly grateful for the collaboration between our member institutions, broadcast partners, Ford Field and the Detroit Lions to provide this unique opportunity and incredible exposure for our student-athletes on Black Friday."
MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl: "The MHSAA has enjoyed a long relationship with two of our best partners, Michigan State University and Ford Field. Our athletes have incredible experiences both on the Michigan State campus and Ford Field with our championship events. Given the unique opportunities of this fall, the MHSAA was proud to play a small part in making the puzzle work with Ford Field, Michigan State Athletics and the Big Ten Conference, while still preserving all eight of our games on Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field."