Penn State and Michigan State will not face each other in the Spartans' house after all.
That isn't a surprise, though. That's something that was announced in late May.
Michigan State elected to move the game to Ford Field in Detroit. The Spartans view this as a positive opportunity with several advantages for the program, though the program has acknowledged that it knows and understands how its fans will be affected by the move.
“This is a unique opportunity, for both our football program and our fan base, to play a Black Friday game at Ford Field,” Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement shortly after the announcement of the change of date and location.
“Southeast Michigan is home to 100,000 alums, nearly 50 percent of our student body and countless more Spartan fans. Our men’s basketball team has experienced tremendous support in Detroit, both at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena, and we’re excited to bring Spartan Football to our fans in the Motor City. The city is important to our mission not only as an athletic department, but our entire University. We anticipate that the experience will be so much more than a football game for our Spartan faithful."
Here's a look in to what to know as the Nittany Lions and the Spartans face off in a Black Friday special.
Why is Penn State vs. Michigan State in Detroit?
The game was originally supposed to be played on Nov 25 at Spartan Stadium but the Big Ten approached Michigan Stadium about moving the matchup. Michigan State got in touch with Ford Field and the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which ultimately ended up changing its championship games from Friday and Saturday to Saturday and Sunday.
"The Big Ten Conference is thrilled that Michigan State will be hosting Penn State at Ford Field in prime time on NBC," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. "We are incredibly grateful for the collaboration between our member institutions, broadcast partners, Ford Field and the Detroit Lions to provide this unique opportunity and incredible exposure for our student-athletes on Black Friday."
The Spartans, under perhaps an even larger spotlight with this move, are still expected to have a strong homefield advantage over the Nittany Lions.
MORE: Watch Penn State vs. Michigan State live with Fubo
What time is Penn State vs. Michigan State on today?
- Date: Friday, Nov. 24
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday evening's game between the Spartans and the Nittany Lions is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
What channel is Penn State vs. Michigan State on today?
- Game: No. 11 Penn State vs. Michigan State
- Date: Friday, Nov. 23
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Fubo
NBC will be broadcasting the Penn State vs. Michigan State game. It can also be streamed on Fubo, which comes with a free trial, and NBC's streaming service Peacock.
