Michigan State University Athletics
Big Ten Announces Conference Opponents for 2024 and 2025 Football Schedules
6/8/2023 4:29:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Big Ten office has announced the conference opponents for Michigan State for the 2024 and 2025 football schedules.
With the additions of UCLA and USC into the conference, 2024 will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format.
The 2024 Big Ten football season will also debut the Flex Protect Plus model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each member institution will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.
Conference schedules will include 11 protected matchups that will continue to be played annually and feature a combination of historic and geographic rivalries, as well as trophy games. These matchups were finalized in conjunction with all 16 member institutions to ensure the traditions of the Big Ten Conference remain strong as the conference evolves. Michigan State's annual protected matchup will be against Michigan.
The 2024 season will conclude with the annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, which will feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.
The 2024 and 2025 opponent rotations were approved by the Big Ten Administrators Council after careful consideration and constructs that included:
• Maintaining control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, with the goal to create access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff.
• Balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones.
• Balance of historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools.
• Balance and maximization of television inventory each season.
The game dates for the 2024 football schedule will be announced later this year.
UPCOMING MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
2024 Schedule
Home games (5): Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers
Away games (4): Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State
Previously announced nonconference games: vs. Florida Atlantic (Aug. 31), vs. Louisiana (Sept. 14), at Boston College (Sept. 21)
2025 Schedule
Home games (4): Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA
Away games (5): Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, Wisconsin
Previously announced nonconference games: vs. Western Michigan (Aug. 30), vs. Youngstown State (Sept. 6), vs. Boston College (Sept. 20)
With the additions of UCLA and USC into the conference, 2024 will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format.
The 2024 Big Ten football season will also debut the Flex Protect Plus model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each member institution will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.
Conference schedules will include 11 protected matchups that will continue to be played annually and feature a combination of historic and geographic rivalries, as well as trophy games. These matchups were finalized in conjunction with all 16 member institutions to ensure the traditions of the Big Ten Conference remain strong as the conference evolves. Michigan State's annual protected matchup will be against Michigan.
The 2024 season will conclude with the annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, which will feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.
The 2024 and 2025 opponent rotations were approved by the Big Ten Administrators Council after careful consideration and constructs that included:
• Maintaining control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, with the goal to create access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff.
• Balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones.
• Balance of historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools.
• Balance and maximization of television inventory each season.
The game dates for the 2024 football schedule will be announced later this year.
UPCOMING MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
2024 Schedule
Home games (5): Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers
Away games (4): Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State
Previously announced nonconference games: vs. Florida Atlantic (Aug. 31), vs. Louisiana (Sept. 14), at Boston College (Sept. 21)
2025 Schedule
Home games (4): Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA
Away games (5): Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, Wisconsin
Previously announced nonconference games: vs. Western Michigan (Aug. 30), vs. Youngstown State (Sept. 6), vs. Boston College (Sept. 20)
Our 2024 & 2025 opponents are set!#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/dnvfGLuoj0
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) June 8, 2023
Pat Fitzgerald | Football Press Conference | Mar. 31, 2026
Tuesday, March 31
Pat Fitzgerald | Football Press Conference | Mar. 17, 2026
Tuesday, March 17
Pat Fitzgerald | Signing Day Press Conference | Feb. 4 2026
Wednesday, February 04
A New Era | Pat Fitzgerald's First Day in East Lansing
Wednesday, December 03