Notre Dame and Michigan State will renew their highly competitive rivalry in the 2026 and 2027 seasons. In the two-game, home-and-home series announced this week, the Fighting Irish will host the Spartans on Sept. 19, 2026. The following year, Michigan State will welcome Notre Dame to East Lansing on Sept. 18, 2027. Game times and broadcast networks will be announced at a later date.
The programs first met in 1887 and have faced each other 79 times, the fourth-most prolific series in Irish football history. That first game resulted in a 34-6 Irish victory. Since 1949, the winner has earned the Megaphone Trophy. The trophy is currently held by the Irish after a win at the most recent meeting. The Irish defeated the Spartans 38-18 in East Lansing in 2017. Notre Dame leads the series all-time with a record of 49-29-1. Michigan State’s last win in the series came in South Bend in 2016 when they bested the Irish 36-28. Since the Megaphone Trophy was introduced, Notre Dame holds a 33-27-1 record.
Notre Dame and Michigan State Rivalry Back On
The Notre Dame and Michigan State series has been absent from the schedule in recent years. That is partly due to Notre Dame’s agreement to play five ACC teams each year. This arrangement has limited the Irish’s ability to schedule regular season games against their Big Ten rivals, including Michigan State, Michigan, and Purdue. The two teams played consecutively from 1959 to 1994. After a two-year break, they resumed with another 17 consecutive matchups, which ended in 2013
The games in 2016 and 2017 were part of a home-and-home series, just like the upcoming games in 2026 and 2027. All told, Notre Dame holds a 249-131-16 record in program history vs. the Big Ten. Responding to the announcement on X, former Notre Dame quarterback and current college football analyst Brady Quinn, wrote, “Love this! @MSU Football is always a battle. Hope to bring back more of these rivalries.”
“Game of the Century”
The 2026 game will mark the 60th Anniversary of the memorable “Game of the Century.” The two teams battled to a 10-10 stalemate in 1966 at Spartan Stadium. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 and Michigan State was ranked No. 2. The tie crushed both teams’ aspirations of a perfect season.
“The Michigan State-Notre Dame rivalry is not only one of the oldest rivalries in all of college football, it’s a series that is meaningful to the Spartan player and fans alike,” Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a press release. “It’s fitting that the battle for the Megaphone Trophy renews in the 60th Anniversary season of the 1966 “Game of the Century.”
Fans of Notre Dame and Michigan State are certain to look forward to this game with great anticipation. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has a host of young talent that should be emerging by the 2026 season. Some young players to keep an eye on include the likes of CJ Carr, Jerome Bettis Jr., Bryce Young, and Kennedy Urlacher. Additionally, Jadarian Price and Jaden Greathouse—both sophomores this season—should still be making an impact on the Irish offense when the series renews.
In embracing traditions of the past, the series between Notre Dame and Michigan State promises to provide another great non-conference matchup for college football,
