SOUTH BEND, IN — No. 3 Notre Dame and Michigan State are bringing back a rivalry that once helped shape the college football calendar. The teams meet Saturday for the first time since 2017 in the Battle for the Megaphone, ending nearly a decade without a matchup between the longtime opponents.
The game carries more than nostalgia. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald both want the series to remain part of the schedule in future years, even as modern scheduling makes that harder to guarantee. The Irish and Spartans have played memorable games for generations, including matchups with national title implications and one of the most famous ties in college football history.
A rivalry that once carried national title stakes
Notre Dame and Michigan State first met in 1897, and the series has long stood among the sport’s most recognizable nonconference rivalries. The schools have played 79 times, with Notre Dame holding a 49-29-1 edge, but the results have often been close enough to keep the matchup meaningful well beyond the standings.
One of the series’ defining moments came in 1966, when the nation’s top two teams played to a 10-10 tie in East Lansing, Michigan. That game became known as “The Game of the Century,” a reminder of how often this rivalry has touched the sport’s biggest stage. Saturday’s meeting does not carry that same national title pressure, but it still reconnects two programs with deep shared history.
Freeman and Fitzgerald say rivalries should stay on the schedule
Both head coaches have been clear about their preference for keeping rivalry games alive. Fitzgerald said it “stinks” when teams with meaningful history cannot meet every year, calling such games an important part of college football’s tradition and pageantry.
Freeman has voiced a similar view, but Notre Dame’s five-game tie-in with the Atlantic Coast Conference has made scheduling more difficult. That reality has pushed several familiar opponents off the Irish calendar in recent seasons. Southern California disappeared from the schedule this year for the first time in a non-COVID season since 1946, while Purdue and Notre Dame also had to work through a break in their in-state series before resuming play in 2021.
Fitzgerald knows Notre Dame Stadium from both sidelines
Fitzgerald’s connection to the rivalry runs deeper than his current job. He said Notre Dame Stadium has special meaning for him, both as a former player and as a coach who has already been part of memorable wins there.
As a Northwestern player in 1995, Fitzgerald helped beat No. 9 Notre Dame 17-15, a victory that became part of a turnaround season for the Wildcats. Later, as Northwestern’s coach in 2014, he led another upset in South Bend, this time a 43-40 overtime win. Those memories give him a personal appreciation for the atmosphere and importance of the setting.
Notre Dame’s defense and talent draw NFL attention
This year’s Irish team enters the matchup with one of the nation’s most productive offenses and a defense that has already turned in a dominant performance. Notre Dame is averaging 46.5 points per game, with quarterback CJ Carr completing 71.4% of his passes and sitting two games away from matching Brady Quinn’s school record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass.
On defense, the Irish held Rice to 128 total yards, their lowest single-game total since 2008. Fitzgerald said scouts are especially interested in cornerback Leonard Moore and safety Adon Shuler, describing Notre Dame’s defense as physical and violent at every level. He also noted the talent surrounding those two players, saying the Irish appear loaded across the field.
Michigan State brings a productive ground game and an unbeaten start
Michigan State comes into the game at 2-0, with a run game that has been the centerpiece of its early success. Running back Cam Edwards leads the Big Ten in rushing and ranks fifth nationally at 125 yards per game. He has already scored three times on 27 carries and has piled up 2,940 career rushing yards, making him one of the most experienced active rushers in the FBS.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has also given the Spartans efficiency through the air, throwing for 417 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Fitzgerald said the team’s physical style and disciplined play reflect the approach he wants to bring to East Lansing. Notre Dame and Michigan State are set to meet again in 2027, though Fitzgerald would prefer the rivalry continue every year.
