Michigan State football is officially back.
The Spartans will open the 2026 season on Friday night under the lights of Spartan Stadium in a non-conference matchup against the Toledo Rockets. This will be the first game for not only 2026 Spartans but new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who returns to the sidelines for the first time since 2022.
Michigan State comes into this season looking to get back to a bowl game for the first time in five years, and will need to pick up a victory in this opener to have a chance of that occurring. Toledo, though, will make that difficult, with the Rockets being a popular upset pick this week.
Here are the key details for this matchup between Michigan State and Toledo on Friday:
Broadcast Info

- Date: Sept. 4, 2026
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: FS1
Betting Odds

All College Football Odds via FanDuel:
- Point spread: Michigan State -10.5
- Money line: Michigan State -420 / Toledo +320
- Over-under: 45.5
Spartans Wire's Predictions

Click here to see the Spartans Wire crew's predictions and breakdown for this contest between the Spartans and Rockets.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State vs. Toledo: Broadcast info, betting odds, predictions for Friday
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