Michigan State football reveals two Friday night games in 2024

The upcoming Michigan State football schedule has been set in stone for quite some time now, but the official dates and kickoff times are just now being released. And I don’t love the news released for Michigan State.

Six Big Ten teams will play two Friday night games this season, and MSU was one of the lucky (sarcasm) teams selected. Friday night games aren’t anything new for Michigan State as the first game of the season has been on a Friday most seasons for the last two decades.

However, it unfortunately looks like that tradition won’t be continuing this season.

In some news that was announced earlier on Wednesday, Michigan State will play Oregon and Purdue as its two Friday night games this season. The Oregon game will be on Oct. 4 in what is MSU’s sixth game of the season and Purdue is in later in the year on Nov. 22.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of Friday night games. I’ve always loved and actually preferred having Michigan State play their season opener on Friday. I already mentioned that I’m not a fan of losing that tradition, but I also don’t love having two Friday night games. I think it’s a fun thing to do once a year, but two times decreases that “special feeling” it gives me.

Also think for a second how miserable the game against Purdue could be. An 8 p.m. ET start time in late November is going to be freezing cold. That’s why games late in the season typically occur around noon so it’s a little warmer and more bearable for the teams and fans. But putting that game on a Friday makes it have to be a night game which doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.

So overall I don’t hate what the Big Ten and TV networks are doing, I just think they need to apply some common sense. Don’t make Michigan State end their decades long tradition of opening their season on a Friday, and don’t force night games to happen late in November when some fans might be turned off from going to the game.