Measuring Impact of MSU Having Multiple Friday Night Games

One thing that is nice is that the Spartans' tradition to start the season on a Friday night is still going under Pat Fitzgerald. Excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Michigan State has started every season but one on a Friday night since 2011. MSU has gone 13-0 during those games, with an 11-0 record at Spartan Stadium.

A big bonus of moving up to Friday night is that it means the Spartans will have just one additional day to recover from the season opener than most teams. After Toledo, Michigan State takes on another MAC program, Eastern Michigan, during Week 2. A massive test against Notre Dame awaits during Week 3, though.

Selfishly, it also makes the following day more fun. It's a rare opportunity to have a stress-free Saturday where MSU fans can just watch the rest of the college football slate.

Short Week Against Oregon

Friday nights get less fun as the season goes on, though. Michigan State played on a Friday in the second-to-last week of the season two seasons ago against Purdue. MSU won the game, but it was a slog played in front of a below-capacity crowd amid temperatures in the high-30s and low-40s. It didn't help that the game featured two teams at 4-5 and 1-9 entering the matchup.

The Spartans had actually played Oregon on a short week in 2024 as well, made worse by the cross-country trip and the fact that MSU had played Ohio State the game prior. Michigan State hung around for a tiny bit, but the Ducks ended up flexing their muscles in a 31-10 result in Eugene.

Just like that, the Purdue game in the past, this matchup will probably get pretty chilly. Since it'll be nighttime, the temperature will be close to the low end of the forecast. On average in Michigan, that might mean temperatures around 35 degrees around mid-to-late November.

The scheduling dynamic of this game will also be a bit interesting. This matchup will be the Spartans' third game after their bye week this season, though it will come off a game at Washington. It'll be Oregon's seventh week playing in a row; the Ducks host Michigan the Saturday before coming to East Lansing.