MSU Football To Play At Ford Field This Season

Michigan State University announced on Wednesday morning that the Maryland game, slated for November 29th at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit.

This is the second time in three seasons that MSU's final home football game of the fall will be moved to downtown Detroit.  The Spartans ended the 2023 season in Detroit when they played Penn State for the Land Grant Trophy (Penn State won that game, 42-0).

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Here's an excerpt of MSU Athletic Director Alan Haller's comments, courtesy of msuspartans.com:

"Playing at Ford Field is an exciting opportunity for Spartan football.  The 2023 game proved that this can be a successful and enjoyable venture. I heard from fans, donors, students, and media, all of whom universally raved about their experience at Ford Field.  Our student-athletes dream of playing in the NFL and to have the opportunity to play in that stadium is a thrill for them as well."

"Michigan State University has a strong connection with the city of Detroit, and our teams have repeatedly experienced an outpouring of support in the 313.  We are very thankful for Ford Field and the Detroit Lions, and all their work to host this game."

MSU head football coach Jonathan Smith had this to say about Wednesday's announcement, again courtesy of msuspartans.com:

"Playing at Ford Field is an exciting way to close out the regular season.  We will have an opportunity to play in one of the best venues in the NFL in front of our fans, which will create a great atmosphere and a home field advantage for our players.  We are looking forward to playing in Detroit, a city that means so much to our program and university." 

The Spartans are coming off a 5-7 season in 2024, which was Jonathan Smith's first season.  They open the 2025 season on August 30th against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium.