Michigan State heads down to Ann Arbor for the annual intrastate rivalry matchup against No. 24 Michigan in Week Nine. Game time for the Oct. 26 showdown was announced Monday afternoon for 7:30 pm. The matchup will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
The game will mark a fifth-straight prime-time game for the Spartans and the third time the rivalry game in Ann Arbor will be at night. The first two in the series at Michigan Stadium were in 2017 and then in 2022 in the last meeting at Michigan Stadium.
This year's game will mark the 117th meeting between the two mitten-based programs with MSU looking for its 11th victory in the past 17 games against UM. Overall, the Spartans trail just 40-32-2 since 1950 when the two became conference foes and are 40-29-2 in the Paul Bunyan Trophy series dating back to 1953.
First-year head coach Jonathan Smith will look to become just the third head coach all-time in East Lansing to win in his first go against Michigan, and he would be just the second to win in his try at Michigan Stadium. Previously, Nick Saban downed the Wolverines 28-25 at Spartan Stadium in 1995 and Mel Tucker defeated then No. 13 Michigan 27-24 in Ann Arbor in 2020.
Michigan State's last win over Michigan came in 2021 in East Lansing with MSU riding a two-game losing streak heading into this year's matchup.
The Spartans head into Week Eight this Saturday sitting at 3-3 overall (1-2 Big Ten) and are coming off a much needed bye week. MSU's last outing came in a Friday night game at then No. 6 Oregon in Week Six, falling 31-10 to the Ducks. MSU hosts Iowa this Saturday night at Spartan Stadium for homecoming with kickoff set for 7:30 pm on NBC.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines are coming off a bye week as well heading into a road game at No. 22 Illinois this Saturday. UM is sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play. In Michigan's most recent outing, Week Six found UM falling 27-17 at Washington.
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