Michigan State has its schedule released for the 2025 season finally as the Big Ten conference schedule was published Wednesday afternoon.
There is a big shakeup in the schedule overall as the non-conference has been adjusted to accommodate a trip to USC in Week Four. More on that below.
In conference action, MSU will open league play in Week Four with a trip to take on the Trojans. After a bye, a second-straight road game will await when the Spartans travel to Lincoln to take on Nebraska in Week Six.
That means the league home season-opener won't occur until Week Seven when UCLA comes to Spartan Stadium. It's back on the road in Week Eight to face Indiana in Bloomington before Michigan comes to town for a late October showdown in Week Nine. Week 10 will see November begin with a trip to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota before a second bye week follows.
The final stretch of the season begins in Week 12 with a visit from Penn State. The final road game of the year will came against Iowa in Week 13 at Kinnick Stadium before the regular season finale welcomes Maryland in Week 14.
Overall, Michigan State will face Maryland, Iowa, and Indiana for a second-straight season in addition to the annual rivalry matchup against the Wolverines. It will also feature the first time MSU will face the two new California members of the Big Ten as conference foes. Long time rival PSU is also back on the calendar, but notably absent for the season finale as the Nittany Lions will plat at Rutgers instead. This is despite the fact a rotating schedule of UMD-MSU-PSU-RU from 2017-2019 proved to be a poor ticket sales choice by the league for all teams involved and the annual Land Grant Trophy battle was returned to the season finale for the Spartans and Nittany Lions.
The Spartans will look to rebound in 2025 follow three-straight losing seasons in after a 5-7 campaign in 2024. MSU has gone 3-6, 2-7, and 3-6 in league play respectively dating back to 2022 in those three losing seasons, last earning a bowl bid in 2021.
Michigan State will enter its second season under head coach Jonathan Smith next season and features an away-heavy conference schedule, but feature seven games at Spartan Stadium. Among those will be non-conference matchups against Western Michigan, Youngstown State, and Boston College.
At present, the game against the Broncos is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30, but fans can expect for MSU to push for the game to be moved to Friday, Aug. 29 as has become a tradition dating back to 2011. MSU will also be looking to avenge a loss at BC in the 2024 season when the Eagles visit Spartan Stadium in Week Two. That game was moved from Week Four with a trip to Los Angeles now awaiting MSU that day, instead.
The full schedule is available below.
2026 Big Ten Opponents
Home
Illinois
Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon
Washington
Away
Michigan
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin
Non-conference matchups include Toledo (Sept. 5) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 12)
2027 Big Ten Opponents
Home
Indiana
Michigan
Rutgers
Wisconsin
Away
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Washington
Non-conference matchups include Central Michigan (Sept. 11)
2028 Big Ten Opponents
Home
Iowa
Minnesota
Penn State
Purdue
USC
Away
Illinois
Maryland
Michigan
Oregon
Non-conference matchups include Western Michigan (Sept. 2)
There is still no word yet on whether Michigan State's non-conference matchups against Oregon in East Lansing in 2029 and in Eugene in 2030 will be canceled, but it seems likely both teams will eventually announce the series is cancelled with new opponents taking the spots on respective schedules.
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