MSU-Notre Dame Football Rivalry Renewed

Michigan State University announced on Thursday morning that the football rivalry between MSU and Notre Dame will be renewed in the very near future.

The Spartans will play the Fighting Irish in South Bend in the fall of 2026, and then will play the return game the following year in East Lansing in 2027.

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The last time the Spartans and Fighting Irish played in football was in 2017 in East Lansing.  Notre Dame won that game, 38-18.

The MSU-ND game is a "trophy" game.  The teams play for the Megaphone Trophy, which has been contested for since 1949.  It was donated by the Detroit alumni groups for both universities.

MSU Athletic Director Alan Haller said this about Thursday's announcement:

“The Michigan State-Notre Dame rivalry is not only one of the oldest rivalries in all of college football, it’s a series that is meaningful to Spartan players and fans alike, It’s fitting that the battle for the Megaphone Trophy renews in the 60th anniversary season of the 1966 Game of the Century.”

As Haller mentioned, the 2026 game in South Bend is the 60th anniversary of the legendary 10-10 tie back in 1966 between the two schools at Spartan Stadium.  The Irish lead the overall series, 49-29-1.