Michigan State has announced another kickoff time and, well, it has fans a little confused.
The Spartans will go to South Bend this weekend and face Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. ET and they’ve already had a primetime kickoff to open the season against Toledo and a 3:30 p.m. kick against Eastern Michigan. Now they know of their first Big Ten game’s kickoff time.
And it’s interesting.
The Spartans announced that they’ll host Nebraska in Week 4 with a kickoff time at 5 p.m. ET. They will get an uncommon kickoff slot on Big Ten Network to start the conference season.
Kickoff vs Nebraska is set pic.twitter.com/ucE01UbMDH
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 14, 2026
I don’t recall a previous 5 p.m. ET start if Michigan State ever had one, but this is one of the more uncommon kickoff times on Saturdays. It’s usually the noon slot, 3:30 p.m., 7/7:30 p.m., or the West Coast times post-10 p.m. but this one is right smack-dab in the middle of the day.
It’s not bad, it’s not good, it just is.
The Spartans will host a new-look Nebraska team that won’t feature Dylan Raiola under center anymore as he transferred to Oregon to back up Dante Moore for a year. The Cornhuskers are off to a great start to the year with back-to-back MAC blowout wins over Ohio and Bowling Green. Somewhat similar to Michigan State who beat two MAC teams by double figures to start the year.
I guess that’s a perfect time for this Big Ten showdown in East Lansing. Nebraska and Michigan State under the lights just makes sense. It’ll be dusk by the time the game ends so the lights will be on and this will have the feel of a big-time showdown.
Nebraska will likely be 3-0 and Michigan State is likely going to be 2-1 (hopefully an upset changes that) so it’ll be a fun game for both fanbases — even with the weird kickoff time.
Michigan State has a slight upperhand vs. Nebraska at home
Michigan State and Nebraska have faced each other five times in East Lansing and the Spartans have a 3-2 lead, if you count the vacated win from the 2023 season. Michigan State hasn’t lost to Nebraska in East Lansing since 2012 when the Spartans snuck into a bowl game.
The Spartans won 20-17 in 2023 and 23-20 in 2021 in a sloppy night game. A Jayden Reed punt return for a touchdown won that for Mel Tucker and Co. en route to an 11-2 season.
Pat Fitzgerald beat the Cornhuskers in Dublin in their last matchup back in 2022 — that was also Northwestern’s only win of the season coincidentally. The first-year Michigan State head coach has a .500 record against the Cornhuskers all time so this one could be another coin toss.
Michigan State has the upperhand and they’ll look to build on that winning record against Nebraska in East Lansing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google