While we are still months away from the start of the next season, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has already received a warning from his in-state rival. New Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald discussed the 2026 campaign, and the Wolverines are at the top of his priority list.
“We start camp in 110 days,” Fitzgerald said in a press conference after the Spartans’ Spring Showcase. “We’ll be back in the Spartan Stadium to take on the opener in 141 days. And we go down the road to take on Michigan in 203 days. So those things are all top of mind with me, with our coaches and with our program.”
“We go down the road to take on Michigan in 203 days.”
Michigan State players also sang an altered MSU fight song after the Spring Showcase, singing “Go right through that line of blue.”
Fitzgerald and the Spartans are already locked in on November 7th in Ann Arbor.@wilxTV https://t.co/Qdd0qvSWFY pic.twitter.com/KrOxapaqer
— Ben Shockley (@BenShockley_) April 18, 2026
The Wolverines and the Spartans are not just two college football teams in the same state; they share one of the oldest rivalries in college football, dating back to 1898. Dubbed the Battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy, the winner of each game gets to go home with the Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy.
It is Fitzgerald’s first season with the Spartans, and it is quite surprising to see a coach who has never had anything to do with the State of Michigan prioritize the rivalry so much. However, given how woeful his program has been in the rivalry, both historically and in recent years, his focus on the Wolverines becomes understandable. Trailing the Wolverines in the all-time rivalry record of 75-38-5, the Spartans have also lost their last four meetings, including a 49-0 blowout in 2023.
Despite having games against the likes of Notre Dame, Nebraska, UCLA, and his former team, Northwestern, before his visit to Ann Arbor in November, Fitzgerald is placing more priority on the Spartans’ ninth game of the season.
Fitzgerald joined Michigan State on a $30 million, five-year contract, bringing loads of trophy-laden rivalry experience from Northwestern. Fitzgerald coached Northwestern from 2006 to 2023, won ten bowl games and two Big Ten West titles, and had three 10-win seasons.
His impact was most felt in the rivalry against Illinois. Over 17 seasons, he flipped the script with a dominant 11-6 record. His teams captured the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk trophy twice and, after it was renamed, won the Land of Lincoln trophy nine more times. With such rivalry experience, Fitzgerald may have something different from the Spartans, with a chance to save them from a five-game losing streak to their Michigan neighbors on November 7.
Fitzgerald on Spartans’ Spring Showcase
The Spartans had their Spring Showcase on Saturday, with Fitzgerald and his players enjoying a good time out with the fans. And while there were some little reservations regarding their offensive performance, the new head coach expressed confidence in his team ahead of the new season.
“I wouldn’t overthink who had highs and lows today. It was one day of practice,” said Fitzgerald. “I would say on Thursday the offense had more production, so today was a good day for the defense, but I thought there were some good things offensively and a lot of different moving parts. We got different guys who are going to be in the mix in the summer and in the Fall that maybe that may not be available in the spring, but overall, just really happy with the growth of the football program.“
Among his offensive players, however, starting quarterback Milivojevic received a special mention from the head coach, who noted how intentional the coaching staff was in making him QB1. Fitzgerald is leading his team with the aim of hitting a better finish than last season’s 6-6 finish. But most importantly, he is keen to get a win over their rivals when they meet in 202 days.
