Michigan State Football Set For Home and Home Series With Big 12 Foe

On Thursday, Michigan State football had a busy morning. The Spartans and Athletic Director J Batt finished the contracts on three separate future opponents. The first one to be officially announced was that Michigan State football is set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2028 and 2029 in a home-and-home series.

Michigan State Football Has Never Played Oklahoma State

For both teams, this is an entirely new experience. The Spartans have never played the Cowboys in the gridiron, and the teams made a deal to fix that. This is also historic for the Spartans, as they have not played a Big 12 team since 2001, when they played the (then-Big 12) Missouri Tigers.

The Spartans have since played a pair of teams that went on to become Big 12 schools. In 2016, the Spartans hosted then-Independent BYU, where future Detroit Lion running back Jamaal Williams announced himself to the NFL Draft circles. The return date for that was scheduled for 2020, before COVID-19 and a Big 12 contract delayed that until 2032.

A few years later, the Spartans had a home-and-home with Arizona State football, losing both matchups to the then-Pac 12 squad.

J Batt Working the Phone and Contracts

Oklahoma State previously had a matchup scheduled with Alabama but cancelled the Alabama matchup as they signed to play Michigan State. J Batt was the Deputy AD for Alabama when Oklahoma State signed the 2021 deal to play the Crimson Tide in 2028 and 2029.

The cancellation likely occurs, in part, from the SEC mandating a nine-game conference slate.

Spartan Ties with Oklahoma State Football

There are a few ties with the Spartans and Oklahoma State, despite them never squaring off on the field.

Oklahoma State football currently has one former Spartan on their roster, with 2024 starting tackle Ashton Lepo entering his redshirt senior season with the Cowboys. After missing eight games with injury in 2025, he can appeal for one season of eligibility, but barring another setback, will not be present on the roster in 2028.

The Cowboys also had former Spartan receiver Christian Fitzpatrick complete his last year of eligibility in Stillwater last season, with eight catches for 90 yards on the campaign.

In an honorable mention for Spartan ties, the father of former Michigan State basketball reserve guard Nick Sanders is an Oklahoma State legend. People in the Michigan area might know who I am referring to, as it is none other than Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.

The Spartans did offer Sanders’ son Noah a walk-on spot during the 2025 recruiting cycle, but he opted for a scholarship spot with 2026 Michigan State football opponent Toledo.

The tentative date on these games is September 16, 2028 at Boone-Pickens Stadium, and September 15, 2029 in Spartan Stadium.