Marquette, MI – September 4th, 2026 – After a handful of teams got an early taste of the 2026 college football season last weekend, opening kickoff arrives in full force tonight as teams across the country begin their pursuit of a championship, for Michigan State tonight marks the beginning of a new era.
For the first time in two seasons, the Spartans will take the field at Spartan Stadium under a new head coach. After Jonathan Smith’s two-year tenure in East Lansing came to an end, Michigan State turned to former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald. After three years away from college football, Fitzgerald is back on the sideline and tasked with getting the Spartans back into the postseason. Michigan State has not reached a bowl game since the 2022 Peach Bowl.
A New Era Under Pat Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald brings nearly two decades of Big Ten coaching experience to East Lansing. He spent 17 seasons as Northwestern’s head coach, compiling a 110-101 record and becoming the longest-tenured coach in program history. Fitzgerald took over Northwestern in 2006 at just 31 years old following the sudden death of Randy Walker, becoming the youngest head coach in the Big Ten and FBS at the time.
Before becoming a coach, Fitzgerald starred at linebacker for the Wildcats, winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award twice before eventually being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. During his coaching career, Fitzgerald led Northwestern to 10 bowl appearances, five AP Top 25 finishes and two Big Ten Championship Game appearances after winning the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018 and won the Dodd Trophy in 2020. Now, he faces a much different challenge in East Lansing, where expectations are high for a program looking to regain its footing in the Big Ten.
New Look on Offense
One of the biggest changes comes on offense, where Nick Sheridan takes over as offensive coordinator. Sheridan arrives after spending the past two seasons at Alabama. He served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator in 2024 before becoming the co-offensive coordinator last season. His arrival also brings a Michigan State connection. His father, Bill Sheridan, coached the Spartans from 1998-2000 as the team’s linebackers coach.
At quarterback, redshirt sophomore Alessio Milivojevic enters his first full season as the starter. Milivojevic showed plenty of promise in four starts last season, keeping Michigan State within striking distance in each game and holding fourth-quarter leads in three of them. He ultimately led the Spartans to their only Big Ten victory, defeating Maryland in the regular-season finale.
Roster Overhaul
Michigan State also revamped its roster through the transfer portal, bringing in 32 transfers, the fourth-most among Big Ten programs. One of the biggest additions is running back Cam Edwards, who enters the season on the Doak Walker Award watch list and is expected to be one of the nation’s top backs.
Defense Brings Back Familiar Faces
Joe Rossi remains with the Spartans, providing some continuity through the coaching transition. Michigan State also brought back former Spartan All-Big Ten linebacker Max Bullough as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Bullough spent the past three seasons at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish compile a 34-7 record and reach the national championship game in the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
Kenny Soares Jr. will also be a key leader after reuniting with Fitzgerald, who originally recruited him to Northwestern. Soares was voted Mr. Spartan, (awarded the number one jersey) and named a team captain.
Jordan Hall and Nikai Martinez are two more players expected to anchor the defense. Hall enters the season with expectations of becoming one of the nation’s top linebackers, while Martinez looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season.
Special Teams Gets a Boost
Michigan State is also hoping to improve its special teams with the addition of LeVar Woods as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. Woods spent 18 seasons at Iowa under Kirk Ferentz, including the last 14 coaching special teams. He helped develop some of the nation’s most successful special teams units and numerous All-Americans, award winners and NFL players. For a Michigan State program that struggled at times on special teams last season, Woods brings valuable experience and a proven track record.
A New Chapter Begins
After an offseason filled with coaching changes, roster turnover and plenty of questions, Michigan State finally gets the chance to begin answering them. Fitzgerald begins his tenure, Sheridan takes over the offense, Milivojevic gets his first full season as the starter and a revamped roster looks to establish a new identity. The first test comes tonight against Toledo, kickoff from Spartan Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m., with the game airing nationally on FOX Sports 1.
