Michigan State, Notre Dame to renew football rivalry in 2026, '27

EAST LANSING –The Michigan State and Notre Dame football programs will renew their rivalry for the Megaphone Trophy with a home-and-home series in 2026 and 2027.

The Spartans will travel to Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 19, 2026, and then host the Fighting Irish in East Lansing on Sept. 18, 2027.

Michigan State and Notre Dame have met 79 times in a series that dates back to 1897. MSU ranks second among opponents in all-time victories (29) over Notre Dame; only USC (38) has posted more wins over the Fighting Irish than the Spartans. UND leads the all-time series, 49-29-1.

The fall of 2026 will mark the 60th anniversary of the famous "Game of the Century" 10-10 tie between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Michigan State on Nov. 19, 1966, in Spartan Stadium. 

"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," Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement. "It's fitting that the battle for the Megaphone Trophy renews in the 60th anniversary season of the 1966 Game of the Century."

Since 1949, the winner of the Michigan State-Notre Dame game has been presented the Megaphone Trophy, sponsored jointly by the Detroit alumni clubs of both schools. The megaphone is printed half blue, with a gold ND monogram, and half white, with a green MSC. All previous game scores are listed on the trophy.

Michigan State and Notre Dame played 36 consecutive seasons from 1959-94 until a two-year interruption of the series in 1995-96. MSU and Notre Dame then played 17 straight seasons from 1997-2013 before another two-year break in 2014-15. The two schools last met in a home-and-home series in 2016 and 2017, with both schools winning on the road.

— MSU Athletic Communications