Michigan-Michigan State clash moves to Ann Arbor as Big Ten revises '22 football schedules
The Michigan-Michigan State football game this fall will be played Halloween weekend for the third straight season.
Michigan will host the Spartans on Oct. 29 at Michigan Stadium, the Big Ten announced Wednesday as it revealed changes to the upcoming conference schedule. Originally, a quirk in the scheduling had the in-state rivalry game at Spartan Stadium for the second straight season.
The Wolverines and Spartans will not have a game the week before their rivalry game. Michigan State has won two straight in the rivalry, including a 27-24 victory in 2020, the last time they met in Ann Arbor. Michigan State handed Michigan its only regular-season loss last season, 37-33.
There also was a conflict in the original schedule involving Michigan and Indiana, which was originally scheduled to play at Michigan Stadium a second straight year. Michigan will play at Indiana on Oct. 8, a week after the Wolverines play at Iowa.
The Wolverines open the season Sept. 3 against Colorado State, the first of four straight home games. Michigan State opens Sept. 3 against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium.
After opening Big Ten play at home against Maryland, the Wolverines will go on the road to Iowa on Oct. 1 for their first West Division crossover game. The teams last played in the Big Ten title game last month with Michigan winning, 42-3. Their last regular-season meeting was 2019 at Michigan Stadium, but the last time the Wolverines played at Kinnick Stadium was 2016.
Michigan also adds Illinois at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 19, a week before the Wolverines’ game at Ohio State. Michigan last played Illinois in 2019 at Champaign, and the Illini played at Michigan in 2016.
Michigan was 12-2 in 2021, won the Big Ten championship before losing in the College Football Playoff semifinal to eventual national champion Georgia. The Wolverines finished No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 poll.
The shift of the Michigan game wasn’t the only change to Michigan State’s schedule, which had all but one Big Ten game moved except for Nov. 12 at home against Rutgers.
More: Way-too-early rankings: How Michigan, Michigan State football stack up in 2022
The first three weeks of nonconference games remain the same, with Western Michigan and Akron at home before the Spartans head to Washington on Sept. 17.
The opening of Big Ten play the next week is where the changes begin as Michigan State will host Minnesota on Sept. 24. The date was originally a home game with Ohio State, but that matchup was shifted to Oct. 8.
Another significant change for Michigan State includes hosting Indiana on Nov. 19. The original meeting with the Hoosiers was set for Nov. 19 in Bloomington, Indiana.
The annual meeting with Penn State also was pushed back to the final game of the regular season, a spot the Land Grant Trophy game has been played more often since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten. This signals a move to anchor that game on the final weekend, instead of moving it off that date as it had been from 2017-19.
Michigan State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) finished No. 9 in the final AP rankings after beating Pittsburgh, 31-21, in the Peach Bowl in coach Mel Tucker's second season leading the Spartans. It was the sixth time in program history Michigan State won 11 games in a season.
2022 Michigan schedule
► Sept. 3: Colorado State
► Sept. 10: Hawaii
► Sept. 17: UConn
► Sept. 24: Maryland
► Oct. 1: at Iowa
► Oct. 8: at Indiana
► Oct. 15: Penn State
► Oct. 22: OFF
► Oct. 29: Michigan State
► Nov. 5: at Rutgers
► Nov. 12: Nebraska
► Nov. 19: Illinois
► Nov. 26: at Ohio State
2022 Michigan State schedule
► Sept. 3: Western Michigan
► Sept. 10: Akron
► Sept. 17: at Washington
► Sept. 24: Minnesota
► Oct. 1: at Maryland
► Oct. 8: Ohio State
► Oct. 15: Wisconsin
► Oct. 22: OFF
► Oct. 29: at Michigan
► Nov. 5: at Illinois
► Nov. 12: Rutgers
► Nov. 19: Indiana
► Nov. 26: at Penn State
achengelis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @chengelis