The game will take place on the first day of the tournament on Monday, Nov. 25. ESPN2 will broadcast the 3 p.m. MT matchup. The winner will play the winner of UConn-Memphis while the loser will take on the loser of that same matchup.
The eight-team bracket rounds out with the Auburn Tigers playing the Iowa State Cyclones and the North Carolina Tar Heels playing the Dayton Flyers.
The Spartans went 20-15 last season and 10-10 in the Big Ten Conference. After earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they fell to North Carolina in the second round.
Former Wisconsin starting linebacker named captain for Big Ten rival this season
Former Wisconsin starting inside linebacker Jordan Turner was named one of Michigan State’s 2024 team captains on Monday.
Turner will serve as one of five Spartan captains alongside quarterback Aidan Chiles, running back Nate Carter, offensive lineman Tanner Miller and defensive lineman Maverick Hansen.
The 6-foot-1 Michigan native played three seasons at Wisconsin after redshirting his freshman year. He started in 18 of his 30 appearances for the Badgers at linebacker from 2021-23.
During that period, Turner registered over 130 tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, five sacks and three interceptions. His 65 tackles in 2022 were second most by any Badger, and he recorded eight tackles and 1 1/2 TFLs to pocket defensive MVP honors at the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Oklahoma State.
Proud to announce our captains for this season! It’s a big time honor, as voted on by their teammates, recognizing their hard work and impact on our team! pic.twitter.com/Afeb4q0l3A
Turner elected to begin a new chapter of his collegiate journey by transferring to East Lansing in January 2024 with one year of remaining eligibility. He is listed as the No. 1 middle linebacker on Michigan State’s depth chart headed into the 2024 slate.
Unfortunately for Badger fans, Turner’s Spartans will not play Wisconsin this season. He looks to showcase the same tenacity displayed in Madison against No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 9 Michigan and No. 25 Iowa this fall.
Because the game on the field is only half the fun
There’s been so much happening inside the world of college football since the end of last year that it can be hard to remember what we got so worked up about during the season (non Connor Stalions division)
Fortunately, we have plenty of evidence of schools, fans and commentators frolicking around and finding out. And, wow, was the 2023 campaign an absolute hater’s delight.
This is not a perfect list by any means — there are far too many grudges in college football to capture all of them — but they sure are some of our favorites.
Let’s remember some of last year’s pettiness to get you ready for kickoff next week.
Colorado stomping on the Oregon logo at midfield before their game
The Ducks won 42-6. The Buffaloes tallied 199 total yards. The most time Colorado spent at midfield during their trip to Oregon was during their walkthrough.
Ole Miss’ deep fried Brian Kelly meme after beating LSU
Deion Sanders takes off his hat and glasses for Jay Norvell
Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
It’s hard to remember now, but for a moment there in the beginning of the 2023 season, it was really easy to love everything about Deion Sanders’ showmanship. He just knew how to play the game. Ahead of Week 3’s matchup with rival Colorado State, CSU coach Jay Norvell mocked Coach Prime by quipping “when I talk to grownups, I take my hat and glasses off, that’s what my mother taught me”.
Sanders couldn’t wait to respond — in multiple ways. He even went on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff show and mocked Norvell right back before an overtime victory in Boulder.
Just before Oregon-Oregon State faced off for the final time as Pac 12 opponents, news began to break that Michigan State was preparing to poach Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith. So what did the fine folks at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium do? They put the Michigan State game on the the videoboard and then watched as the Ducks went out and won 31-7. Smith was officially named MSU head coach two days later. He’ll bring his new Spartans team back to Autzen this season on October 4.
Clemson’s long walk after losing to Duke
After Dabo mocked the long walk from the visiting locker rooms to the field here at Wallace Wade, it appears that Duke put a bunch of children’s bounce houses in Clemson’s path pic.twitter.com/nEPUQqTacW
As if Duke needed any more reason to get amped up to face Clemson in the season opener, Dabo Swinney decided to complain about how far his team has to walk back to the visitor’s locker room. So what did Duke do? First they put a bunch of bounce houses in the way of Clemson’s path. Then the Blue Devils shutout the Tigers in the second half of a 28-7 victory. Dabo really should’ve just kept this one to himself.
Alabama returns the favor after Texas put the Crimson Tide band in the nosebleeds
The newest SEC rivalry is off to an amazing start.
After the Texas Longhorns put Alabama’s marching band in the highest, furtherest part of the stadium in 2022, the Crimson Tide did the exact same thing to the Longhorns when they came to Tuscaloosa to open the 2023 season.
A year ago, Alabama didn't send its band to Austin for the Texas game because it would be sat in the upper deck.
This year, Alabama will be returning the favor. Upper deck tickets only for Texas fans/band. Gotta love college football: https://t.co/sPL0VXx35b
Jordan Travis gets the final word on Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Alabama’s season — and little did we know then, Nick Saban’s coaching career — had barely come to an end when Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis fired off a single emoji tweet that summed up how the school’s fans felt after being left out of the College Football Playoffs in favor of a Crimson Tide team that lost to eventual-champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Jim Harbaugh’s bet pays off
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sure, Harbaugh would go onto ruin the phrase by trying to turn it into an acronym — the most football coach thing he could do, honestly — but after Michigan won the Big Ten title game following his three-game suspension, there was only one thing left for him to shout that wouldn’t end with more discipline from the conference.
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) October 28, 2023
Another reminder that college coaches hear every negative word said about them. Before North Carolina State toppled Clemson, 24-17, in late October, Smith went on ESPN’s College GameDay in Utah and proclaimed the Wolfpack were just waiting for basketball season to start.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren responded emphatically to that comment after the win, but, uh, NC State basketball truly got the last laugh when both men’s and women’s teams made the 2024 Final Four.
While the much anticipated NFL and NCAAF Nike Air Pegasus collections will not drop until some time later this summer, fans of certain colleges gained a surprise early back-to-school gift with the release of 11 new 2024 Air Max Solos.
These sneakers should appeal to true Air Max superfans. They were inspired by and include elements from past models including the AM90 heel cup.
The shoes go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 8, and each pair costs $109.99.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Download the 2024 Michigan State Spartans football schedule for your smartphone.
The 2024 college football season is almost here, which means it is time to get ready to root for your Michigan State Spartans as they begin a new era under head coach Jonathan Smith. It will look quite different than what MSU experience over the last three seasons.
It all begins on Aug. 30 when Tom Herman leads the Florida Atlantic Owls into East Lansing to kick off the 2024 campaign. Week 2 brings the road opener and a Big Ten showdown with the Maryland Terrapins. The only Power Four nonconference matchup on the schedule goes down in Week 4 as the Spartans head to Boston.
The meat of the schedule starting in Week 5 will give fans a good idea as to how competitive this team will be this season. The run begins with the Ohio State Buckeyes visiting Spartan Stadium. The following three games will be against the Oregon Ducks, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Michigan Wolverines. Can Smith and MSU take back the Paul Bunyan Trophy?
The regular season comes to a close at home against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Nov. 30.
USA TODAY’s preseason Big Ten media poll has been released. Here is what 13 beat writers see the conference shaking out in 2024.
The USA TODAY Sports Network released its 2024 Big Ten football preseason poll on Monday ahead of the conference media days this week in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The pool takes votes from 13 beat writers who cover the conference for USA TODAY. This is the first edition of the poll featuring the 18-team Big Ten as it enters its first season of expanded play. Newcomers Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC are likely to make a major impact on the season, with the Ducks being a heavy title favorite.
The two teams that met in the national championship game do not even crack the top two, as 2024 represents a year of rebuilding for the Huskies and Wolverines.
It is always challenging to predict the end-of-season standings, especially with the conference entering an entirely new dynamic this year. However, both preseason polls we have looked at so far put Penn State at No. 3 in the conference.
As we near that point, here is a complete 2024 Big Ten football preseason poll courtesy of our colleagues at USA TODAY:
This year’s unofficial Big Ten media poll has been released. Here is what the Big Ten media voters think.
Most conferences organize their own official preseason media polls during the various conference media days. The Big Ten is one of the conferences that does not conduct its own preseason media poll, which is why Cleveland.com’s sports staff took up the task of organizing an annual preseason media poll. And as the Big Ten football media day event is about to get underway in Indianapolis this week, this year’s unofficial Big Ten preseason media poll is out. Penn State is expected to be among the top contenders in the conference this season according to those who voted.
Penn State received the third-most points in the media poll organized by Cleveland.com. The Nittany Lions finished with seven more points than defending Big Ten and national champion Michigan, who is fourth in the preseason poll. Ohio State was the runaway favorite among the voters with 21 first-place votes out of a possible 27. Ohio State received a total of 480 points in the voting. New Big Ten member Oregon received the remaining six first-place votes and 448 total points in the voting.
Here is a look at the 2024 Cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Media Poll:
Ohio State (*21 first-place votes) – 480 total points
So, how accurate has this preseason poll been over the years? Since 2011, this poll has correctly predicted the Big Ten champion just four times. The poll correctly predicted Ohio State to win the Big Ten in 2017, 2018, and 2020, and Michigan in 2023.
Voters were also asked to predict how many Big Ten teams will make the College Football Playoff, which expands to 12 teams this season from the former four-team format. Every ballot predicted Ohio State will reach the playoff, and all but one predicted Oregon will reach the playoff. A total of 18 voters believe Penn State will reach the College Football Playoff, and 15 pick Michigan to make a return to defend its national title. Three voters predicted Iowa will make the playoff.
You can view more information in the Big Ten preseason media poll via Cleveland.com.
Braylon Mullins is the latest 2025 player to receive an offer from Duke.
Duke’s 2025 high school recruiting board keeps taking shape as the Blue Devils extended another offer on Sunday, this time to shooting guard Braylon Mullins.
The newest recruiting target hails from Greenfield, Indiana, and plays his high school ball for Greenfield-Central High School. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 180 pounds, and a terrific spring and summer have vaulted his stock through the roof. He started this offseason as the No. 94 prospect on 247Sports’ rankings, but offensive strides as a scorer (25.0 points per game last season) and a playmaker (3.2 assists) helped him rise all the way to No. 23 in the updated rankings.
His skill set at such a young age is worthy of praise and definitely contributed to his rise. He’s dominated the Adidas 3SSB Circuit and has seen the offers flood in from the nation’s best basketball programs, including Connecticut, North Carolina, and Indiana.
In an interview with Steve Clark of 247Sports, Mullins revealed that he already has eight official visits lined up. The list includes the Huskies, the Tar Heels, the Hoosiers, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee, all of whom will eagerly await his arrival. These visits are not just a testament to Mullins’ talent but also a source of excitement for the basketball community, as they eagerly await his potential choices.
Duke’s interest in Mullins has been palpable this summer, with the Blue Devils watching him play on numerous occasions. While they hadn’t made an offer yet, it was clear that they were familiar with his game and were admirers of his skills. After another impressive weekend on the circuit, the Blue Devils finally made their move and offered Mullins on Sunday, adding to the anticipation of his potential recruitment.
Will Duke’s offer change things and have Mullins push the Blue Devils into the mix? We have no clue, but it should certainly give Mullins something to think about as he attempts to narrow down his recruitment ahead of his final year of high school.
Oklahoma lands Rivals four-star interior offensive lineman Darius Afalava out of Utah.
Bill Bedenbuagh has struck again. This time, his efforts netted Rivals four-star interior offensive lineman [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag], who committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.
Afalava is an incredibly gifted offensive line prospect who is probably even better than his ranking suggests. He’s a three-star prospect on the 247Sports composite, but Rivals considers Afalava a four-star prospect and the No. 230 prospect in the country. When you cut on the film, he looks and plays like a kid deserving of that fourth star.
Afalava chose the Sooners over Utah, Washington and Michigan State offers. Utah had the heavy home-state advantage, but it’s been clear that proximity to home wouldn’t dictate this recruitment throughout the process. Washington’s staff had an incredible relationship with Afalava as they recruited him when Jedd Fisch and his staff were at Arizona.
BREAKING: Class of 2025, four star IOL Darius Afalava has committed to The University of Oklahoma, he tells me. 💥
He chose the Sooners over schools such as, Washington, Utah, and MSU.
Darius is the #1 RANKED PLAYER in the state of Utah! 👀
Oklahoma entered the race late, offering in April. They quickly closed the gap and became a real contender for the talented blocker in a few months. Afalava told (subscription required) Blair Angulo of 247Sports earlier in June why he liked Oklahoma so much.
“Meeting with coach Brent Venables was great and I felt really comfortable around the whole staff,” Afalava said. “Coach Bill Bedenbaugh is a straight-up dude. He’s very real and I really like that about him. Off the field he’s really nice but on the field and in coaching you, he’s going to be hard on you to get the best out of you.
“I don’t want a coach that’s my friend, so if I went there, I know I’d get honesty, and that would bring out the best in my game. I really enjoyed getting to know him.”
Darius now gets that opportunity, as Bill Bedenbaugh’s development is widely recognized. With Afalava on board, the Oklahoma Sooners remain steady at number five in the 247Sports team rankings.
Afalava is a true guard in every sense. He could slide out to the right tackle slide in a pinch, but with his strength, hand placement and base, he seems like a seamless fit as a guard who can not only handle the size in the SEC but also make a difference in the trenches.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.
The Megaphone Trophy will be on the line in 2026 and 2027
It’s never too early to be scheduling gaming for the coming seasons and on Thursday, Notre Dame football announced a home-and-home against Michigan State.
The two teams have met 79 total times, the first one happening all the way back in 1897, when the Irish prevailed. Notre Dame leads the all-time series against the Spartans 47-29-1, with the last meeting in 2017, an Irish 38-18 victory.
It’s great to see that the rivalry will continue, as Notre Dame has held the [autotag]Megaphone Trophy[/autotag] for the first time since 2013. The two teams have been back-and-forth since 2000, with MSU winning 8 games, while the Irish have been victorious in eight of those contests as well.
📆 Schedule update 📆
The Megaphone Trophy rivalry is back in 2026 and 2027
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
