MSU football moves Penn St. game to Ford Field; high school championships move to weekend

Thanksgiving means football in Detroit, and this fall, Michigan State will be part of creating four straight days of football at Ford Field.

The university announced on Wednesday that its regular-season finale against Penn State will shift from Spartan Stadium and will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24 in Detroit. It comes the day after the Detroit Lions host their annual Thanksgiving Day game and precedes two days of high school state championships that will be played on Saturday and Sunday, a shift from the typical Friday-Saturday schedule.

“This is a unique opportunity, for both our football program and our fan base, to play a Black Friday game at Ford Field,” Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement. “Southeast Michigan is home to 100,000 alums, nearly 50% of our student body and countless more Spartan fans. Our men’s basketball team has experienced tremendous support in Detroit, both at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena, and we’re excited to bring Spartan Football to our fans in the Motor City. The city is important to our mission not only as an athletic department, but our entire University. We anticipate that the experience will be so much more than a football game for our Spartan faithful.”

Added Michigan State coach Mel Tucker, “This is an exciting opportunity for our program to play in prime time on a holiday weekend. Our players will be able to compete in an NFL environment while being showcased in the national spotlight. I’m looking forward to our fans creating a loud atmosphere and giving us a home-field advantage at Ford Field.”

The Big Ten approached Michigan State with the idea of moving the game to a national-television window on Friday night — the game will air on NBC and stream on the Peacock Network — along with the potential of moving the game from Spartan Stadium to Ford Field. Once the Lions and Ford Field were on board as well as the MHSAA, the plan came together.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Big Ten Conference to host a game at Ford Field,” Detroit Lions president and CEO Rod Wood said. “Thanksgiving weekend in Detroit is synonymous with football and being able to add a marquee Big Ten game only elevates the weekend. We are proud to be hosting NFL football, Big Ten Football and the Michigan high school football championships in downtown Detroit and look forward to the energy and excitement of the holiday weekend. The Detroit Lions and Ford Field are committed to growing the game and the football community throughout the State of Michigan.”

Added MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl, “The MHSAA has enjoyed a long relationship with two of our best partners, Michigan State University and Ford Field. Our athletes have incredible experiences both on the Michigan State campus and Ford Field with our championship events. Given the unique opportunities of this fall, the MHSAA was proud to play a small part in making the puzzle work with Ford Field, Michigan State Athletics and the Big Ten Conference, while still preserving all eight of our games on Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field.”

This will be Michigan State’s second time playing at Ford Field. In 2010, the Spartans defeated Florida Atlantic, 30-17, after FAU was forced to move its scheduled home game. Prior to that, MSU’s last appearance in Detroit was Oct. 27, 1944, when Coach Charlie Bachman led the Spartans to a 32-0 victory over Wayne State in a contest played at University of Detroit Stadium.

Michigan State is giving up a home game in Spartan Stadium was not a simple choice, Haller said.

“The decision to move a home game out of Spartan Stadium was given careful consideration, as we understand the impact it will have on some fans,” Haller said. “As a community partner, we recognize home football brings benefits to the entire Mid-Michigan area. The fact that this game falls on a holiday weekend Friday increased our willingness make the move. I believe our season ticket holders still have a strong collection of home games highlighted by Michigan and a premier non-conference game against Washington, with a total of six home games just as we had in 2021.”

Spartan Fund donors and 2023 football season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in Spartan Fund donor priority order. The game at Ford Field will be sold as a standalone contest, with details, including on-sale dates, to be announced in the near future. Season ticket holders and student season pass holders who have already paid for the 2023 ticket package will be refunded for tickets and parking to the previously scheduled game vs. Penn State at Spartan Stadium.