For the second time in three years, Michigan State football will move its final game of the season to Detroit.
The Spartans will host Maryland at Ford Field to close the 2025 season on Nov. 29. It is the third time MSU will play at the home of the Detroit Lions, the last a 42-0 Friday night loss to Penn State on Nov. 24, 2023, that drew 51,927 fans to close a tumultuous season in which Mel Tucker was fired. Jonathan Smith, now entering his year, was hired the following day.
Kickoff time is to be determined.
“Playing at Ford Field is an exciting way to close out the regular season,” Smith said in a statement. “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.”
It again will be part of a long weekend of football at Ford Field. The Lions will play on Thursday (opponent/time TBD) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association championships will be held there on Friday and Sunday.
“We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with the MHSAA and their accommodations in shifting their weekend schedule,” MSU athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement. “Together, we’re able to provide a great four-day weekend of football in a terrific setting.”
MSU also played Florida Atlantic at Ford Field on Sept. 11, 2010 in front of a crowd of just 36,124. That was part of a home-and-home deal that was moved to Detroit when the Owls’ home stadium had not yet been completed, and MSU hosted FAU the following season. Kirk Cousins and the Spartans won that 2010 game, 30-17, en route to a share of the program’s first Big Ten title since 1990 and the first of three conference championships under Mark Dantonio in six seasons.
Spartan Stadium’s capacity is 75,005; Ford Field holds 65,000 fans.
Thanksgiving weekend games in East Lansing with unpredictable weather have been a difficult draw, particularly after the Big Ten expanded and did away with the previously annual end-of-season MSU-Penn State series. The Nov. 30, 2024, finale against Rutgers had a reported attendance of 50,038 that was far greater than the number of bodies in the stands.
“Playing at Ford Field is an exciting opportunity for Spartan football,” Haller said. “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. We witnessed what the Detroit Lions experience every game, that Ford Field can be a tremendous home field advantage. 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.”
Detroit has become a vital market for MSU to move games away from campus.
Approximately a third of MSU’s living alumni are from Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. The men’s basketball team has played at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in four of the last five non-COVID seasons as well as at Ford Field, while hockey has played in Detroit at least once per year since 1979-80 (not including the COVID 2020-21 season).
“We are excited to welcome Michigan State Football back into Ford Field for another Spartan season finale,” Ron Wood, Lions president and CEO, said in a statement. “Thanksgiving and football have been a staple in Detroit for the past 91 years and this year will be a true celebration of the game at every level. It is an honor to connect all levels of the game by kicking off the weekend with the Lions and featuring the Big Ten and MHSAA State Championships throughout an amazing four days of football.”
Spartan Fund donors and 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. There will be designated sections in the lower bowl for MSU students, with priority going to 2025 student season pass holders.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football moves Maryland game on Nov. 29 to Ford Field
