GAME DAY AT A GLANCE
- Saturday night will mark the 80th time the Spartans and Irish have faced off against each other.
- This weekend's game is the first of three 7:30 PM ET kickoffs at Notre Dame Stadium this season (MSU, MIAMI and SMU)
- The 79 meetings against Michigan State is the fourth-most prolific series in Irish football history.
- The Irish hold a 49-29-1 advantage in the series against the Spartans. The programs first met in 1887 – a 34-6 Irish victory.
- Since 1949, the winner of each installment of the rivalry earns the Megaphone Trophy, which the Irish currently hold after a 38-18 win in East Lansing in 2017.
- The Detroit alumni clubs of both schools jointly sponsor the Megaphone Trophy. The megaphone is split, with one half decorated in blue with a gold Notre Dame monogram and the other half in green with Michigan State's block "S". All previous game scores are listed down the middle of the trophy in white on a bright red background.
- The last 64 meetings between the Irish and Spartans have featured at least one Associated Press ranked team.
- The Megaphone Trophy Rivalry is a highly competitive series that includes the legendary 10-10 tie when top-ranked Michigan State and second-ranked Notre Dame met in East Lansing during the 1966 season.
- Notre Dame holds a 320-170-22 all-time record against Big Ten opponents.
- The Irish are 8-3 against Big Ten opponents under Dick Corbett Head Coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame’s most recent Big Ten matchup came just two weeks ago in Week 1, a 41-13 Shamrock Series victory against Wisconsin.
- CJ Carr is 3-0 as a starting quarterback against Big Ten Opponents (W, Purdue, 56-30, 2025, W, USC, 34-24, 2025, W, Wisconsin 41-13, 2026.)
- Michigan State Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Max Bullough returned to his alma mater after spending three seasons on the Notre Dame coaching staff.
- Former Notre Dame receiver KK Smith transferred to Michigan State at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
NOTRE DAME STADIUM NOTES
- Notre Dame Stadium has been the home of Irish football since 1930. The Irish are in their 98th season at Notre Dame Stadium in 2026.
- Notre Dame holds a 535-133-13 record at home all time.
- Seating capacity is listed as 77,622 while the playing surface is artificial field turf.
- All seven home games of the 2025 season were sold out: the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th sell-outs of the
- Marcus Freeman era. The last 21 games in a row, dating back to the start of the 2023 season, have been sold out. Michigan
- State has already been announced as sold out, with another capacity crowd expected this Saturday night.