The Spartans head to South Bend for a Saturday night rivalry clash while securing future high-profile matchups against Oklahoma State and Cincinnati to bolster their upcoming slates.
The Michigan State Spartans opponents for 2026 have long been known.
The schedule dates dropped not too long ago, though many of the kickoff times were still to be determined. But now, one of those major game times has officially been announced — and it’s a big one.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Spartans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST in South Bend. The game will air on NBC and stream on Peacock, and it already feels like one of the marquee matchups on Michigan State’s schedule.
A primetime showdown between two of college football’s most storied programs under the bright lights.
There’s also an interesting storyline surrounding the matchup. Michigan State pulled Max Bullough away from Notre Dame, where he served as the linebackers coach over the past few seasons. Bullough now heads to East Lansing as the Spartans’ linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for what is shaping up to be a young, hungry Michigan State squad.
Bullough’s familiarity with the Fighting Irish program could prove valuable. Having spent time inside the Notre Dame system, he should bring insight that could help Michigan State’s defense slow down what is expected to once again be a prolific Notre Dame offense.
And now, that chess match gets the primetime treatment.
Not only did fans receive the kickoff update for Michigan State’s matchup with Notre Dame, but there were also several developments involving the Spartans’ future schedules.
According to reports from On3, Alabama is keeping its home-and-home series with the Ohio State Buckeyes while canceling its planned series with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. That decision ended up opening the door for Michigan State.
The Spartans and Oklahoma State have now agreed to a home-and-home series set for 2028 and 2029. The 2028 matchup will take place in Stillwater, while the 2029 game will be played in East Lansing.
It’s another strong non-conference addition for Michigan State as the program continues trying to build compelling schedules for the future.
And the Spartans weren’t done there.
Michigan State has also finalized a future home-and-home series with the Cincinnati Bearcats. In 2030, the Spartans will travel to Cincinnati before the Bearcats make the return trip to East Lansing in 2031.
While those games are still years away, it shows Michigan State’s continued effort to line up quality opponents well into the future. College football scheduling often happens far in advance, and the Spartans are making sure their future slates remain competitive and attractive for fans.
One final note surrounding Michigan State’s future schedules falls more into the “interesting speculation” category than confirmed news.
A post on X recently mentioned that a “dream home-and-home” series for Central Michigan would be against Michigan State. While the post itself came from a random account, Central Michigan Athletics did reportedly like the post, which naturally caught some fans’ attention.
At this point, however, there is nothing official connecting the two programs to a future series. It’s simply something to monitor moving forward and more fun speculation than concrete reporting — unlike the previously announced Oklahoma State and Cincinnati matchups.
To recap the latest schedule news for Michigan State football:
- The Spartans will face Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. EST on NBC/Peacock on Sept. 19 in South Bend.
- Michigan State will travel to Oklahoma State in 2028 before hosting the Cowboys in East Lansing in 2029.
- The Spartans will play at Cincinnati in 2030, and the Bearcats will travel to East Lansing in 2031.
For Michigan State fans, the future schedules are beginning to take shape — and there are going to be plenty of intriguing matchups along the way.