Michigan State Football Gets Kickoff Time for Notre Dame Matchup

As the days count down towards the beginning of the Pat Fitzgerald era for Michigan State football, kickoff times will slowly start to be announced. One of the most anticipated matchups of the season occurs in week three for the Spartans, as Fitzgerald’s crew travels down to South Bend, Indiana, to renew a rivalry with Notre Dame. On Thursday, NBC announced that the game will be in primetime, with a 7:30 p.m. EST kickoff on September 19.

Spartans Play Notre Dame Under the Lights, Again

The last time Michigan State football was in South Bend was a decade ago, where the Spartans defeated the Fighting Irish in primetime. It was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season, as the Spartans toppled from the 2015 College Football Playoff to a 3-9 season that turned into a tumultuous offseason.

That win would be the Spartans’ most recent in the series, as they lost the return matchup in 2017 by a score of 38-18 before the series was over.

The “Battle for the Megaphone” has led to some historic moments in Michigan State football history, with the initial “Game of the Century” occurring in November 1966. With that 10-10 tie set to hit the 60-year anniversary, the Spartans and Irish are renewing their rivalry.

In more recent years, the Spartans have won via “Little Giants,” a fake field goal touchdown pass in overtime, along with Notre Dame’s 2013 win being the sole loss in Michigan State’s 2013-2014 season that saw them win the Rose Bowl. That game result has since been vacated by Notre Dame.

The Irish lead the all-time series 47-29-1, taking out two vacated Notre Dame wins. Notre Dame enters the 2026 season looking for vengeance after the College Football Playoff committee bumped them down one spot to miss the playoffs, with National Championship runner-up Miami (Fl.) taking their spot.

There will be a Notre Dame return date to East Lansing, with that game slotted for September 18, 2027.

Michigan State Football Storylines Surrounding the Game

The Spartans have added former Notre Dame linebacker coach (and 2013 Michigan State linebacker and football captain) Max Bullough to the coaching staff this offseason, along with wideout KK Smith transferring into Fitzgerald’s program.

For Bullough, this is a personal game, as his ties to both programs are deep. The Co-Defensive Coordinator is a third-generation Spartan, with one grandfather and his father and brothers all wearing the green and white. Meanwhile, his other grandfather and uncle both suited up for Notre Dame during their playing careers.

This will be Fitzgerald’s first true test as MSU’s head coach, with the season opening against two Mid-American Conference teams.