How will Big Ten’s scheduling changes affect Michigan State football?

The Big Ten is making some changes to its scheduling requirements. How will that affect Michigan State football?

Non-conference scheduling in the Big Ten might be getting easier for Michigan State football and the rest of the league in 2024.

With the additions of USC and UCLA to the conference, Big Ten leaders and officials are examining the current scheduling rules in place and looking to see if any changes need to be made.

Since 2016 Big Ten schools have been “required” to play a Power Five team in their non-conference schedule. School officials can ask for exemptions and for certain non-Power Five teams to count (such as Notre Dame, BYU, the military schools, and others). The only team in the Big Ten to not play a Power Five team in their non-conference schedule this past season was Michigan. UConn was the replacement. This was the Wolverine’s second consecutive year with no Power Five opponent in their non-conference schedule.

The Big Ten is “strongly considering” removing this rule according to Brett McMurphy of The Action Network. If the rule is removed the change would take place in 2024 with the addition of USC and UCLA. It would also be the first season with the extended 12-team playoff.

The removal of the rule would not prohibit Big Ten teams from scheduling Power Five teams in the non-conference. It is also expected that the amount of conference games teams play per season would stay the same.

Let’s look at some previous Michigan State football games this rule has given us.

Michigan State football non-conference Power Five matchups

2016: Michigan State played both Notre Dame and BYU in their non-conference schedule in 2016. Both of these teams satisfied the requirement. The Spartans split with a Notre Dame victory in South Bend, but a home loss to the Cougars.

2017: Michigan State played the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame again, this time at Spartan Stadium. The location was different from 2016, and so was the result as the Spartans fell 38-18.

2018: Michigan State traveled out west to the desert in a grueling, grind-it-out game in the vicious heat to play Arizona State. MSU narrowly lost to the Sun Devils 16-13. Entering the 4th quarter Michigan State held a 13-3 lead, but gave up 13 straight unanswered to lose the game.

2019: Michigan State played Arizona State again, this time in East Lansing. However, the result was the same as MSU lost by three points in a low-scoring game. Matt Coghlin shanked a game-winning field goal attempt from 47 yards out as time expired. The worst part? He made the previous kick from 42 yards but there was a flag for 12 men on the field. Yikes.

2020: Voided due to COVID-19.

2021: MSU traveled down to Miami and Kenneth Walker III ran all over the Hurricanes. 38-17 victory for MSU.

2022: Last season had one of the uglier games on the list as Washington dominated MSU in Seattle. The final score was only 39-28 in favor of the Huskies, but Washington jumped out to a 29-8 lead at halftime and never looked back. Washington was led by quarterback Michael Penix who went for an absurd 397.

2023: The Spartans have a rematch lined up with Penix and Washington again, this time in East Lansing.

Overall in these games since 2016, MSU is a measly 2-5. Perhaps the rule change if made could be a positive change for Michigan State football.