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Spartan Stadium

Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI, home of Michigan State. Capacity 75,005. Opened 1923.

Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MIPhoto: Stillnotjayjay, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
75,005
Opened
1923
Surface
Grass
Roof
Open air
Elevation
836 ft
Michigan State here
111–⁠61 games on file since 2001
College GameDay
nine times

Since it opened: Michigan State is 388–⁠174–⁠13 in home games from the 1924 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Spartan Stadium by season, 2001 to 202640k60k80k100k2001: 73,715 a game over 6 games; biggest 75,2622002: 73,942 a game over 8 games; biggest 75,1822003: 72,830 a game over 7 games; biggest 75,1292004: 73,602 a game over 6 games; biggest 76,6972005: 75,183 a game over 6 games; biggest 79,4012006: 70,819 a game over 7 games; biggest 80,1932007: 70,540 a game over 7 games; biggest 77,0092008: 74,858 a game over 7 games; biggest 77,5262009: 74,741 a game over 7 games; biggest 78,6292010: 73,556 a game over 7 games; biggest 78,4112011: 74,078 a game over 7 games; biggest 77,5152012: 75,382 a game over 7 games; biggest 79,2192013: 72,328 a game over 7 games; biggest 76,3062014: 74,681 a game over 7 games; biggest 76,4092015: 74,661 a game over 7 games; biggest 76,5262016: 74,667 a game over 7 games; biggest 75,8022017: 72,485 a game over 7 games; biggest 74,1112018: 72,584 a game over 7 games; biggest 76,1312019: 67,819 a game over 7 games; biggest 73,5312021: 70,135 a game over 6 games; biggest 76,5492022: 69,047 a game over 7 games; biggest 74,5872023: 69,610 a game over 5 games; biggest 74,2062024: 65,307 a game over 7 games; biggest 71,1142025: 70,389 a game over 6 games; biggest 75,0852026: 68,237 a game over 3 games; biggest 70,712200120062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

80,193Notre Dame at Michigan State2006
79,401Michigan at Michigan State2005
79,219Notre Dame at Michigan State2012
78,709Boise State at Michigan State2012
78,629Michigan at Michigan State2009

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

The pregame shows here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Spartan Stadium nine times, first in 1997; Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff once.

Oct 30, 2021College GameDayMichigan State 37, Michigan 33Ralph Young Field
Oct 30, 2021Big Noon KickoffMichigan State 37, Michigan 33
Sep 12, 2015College GameDayMichigan State 31, Oregon 28Munn Intramural Field
Nov 8, 2014College GameDayOhio State 49, Michigan State 37Demonstration Field
Sep 29, 2012College GameDayOhio State 17, Michigan State 16North of Beaumont Tower
Oct 22, 2011College GameDayMichigan State 37, Wisconsin 31Munn Intramural Field
Nov 19, 2005College GameDayPenn State 31, Michigan State 22Outside Spartan Stadium
Sep 18, 2004College GameDayNotre Dame 31, Michigan State 24
Oct 9, 1999College GameDayMichigan State 34, Michigan 31Outside Spartan Stadium
Oct 25, 1997College GameDayMichigan 23, Michigan State 7Outside Spartan Stadium

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA). Big Noon Kickoff’s from Wikipedia’s list of its sites (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Snow at kickoff

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Snow on game day

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Michigan State’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Architect
Edwyn Bowd (1923 field)
Orlie Munson (1957 stadium)
HNTB Architecture (2004 expansion)
Surface over the years
Grass (1923–⁠1968, 2002–present)
Astroturf (1978–⁠2001)
TartanTurf (1969–⁠1977)
Expanded
1935, 1948, 1956, 1957, 2005
Renovated
2005, 2014
Record crowd
80,401

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Spartan Stadium.

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 200 by 250 meters (660 by 820 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 17, 202625Northwestern 24, Michigan State 21
Oct 10, 2026Illinois 38, Michigan State 37
Sep 26, 2026Nebraska 31, Michigan State 13
Sep 12, 2026Michigan State 35, Eastern Michigan 7
Sep 4, 2026Michigan State 30, Toledo 20
Nov 15, 2025Penn State 28, Michigan State 10
Oct 25, 202525Michigan 31, Michigan State 20
Oct 11, 2025UCLA 38, Michigan State 13
Sep 13, 2025Michigan State 41, Youngstown State 24
Sep 6, 2025Michigan State 42, Boston College 40
Aug 29, 2025Michigan State 23, Western Michigan 6
Nov 30, 2024Rutgers 41, Michigan State 14

Pouring rights

PepsiCo has the stadium’s soft-drink pouring rights, on record since 2025. Official source.