The Pat Fitzgerald era is fully underway at Michigan State, with plenty of positive vibes around the program in recent weeks. So why not starting looking ahead to the Spartans‘ first actual game of the Fitzgerald era this fall?

The Michigan State football schedule for the 2026 season is not yet finalized, with the Big Ten still needing to lockdown the exact dates of conference games. But for now, we do know who and (tentatively) when the Spartans will open the 2026 season under their new head coach. That’ll be on Saturday, September 5 against Toledo — but don’t be surprised if this game gets moved up to Friday, September 4 to continue a long tradition of Spartans season-openers on Friday nights.

Toledo has been one of the best and most consistent Mid-American Conference teams across the last two decades. The Rockets haven’t had a losing season in nearly 20 years — last one came in 2009 — which included an 8-4 record this past season and a spot in the Boca Raton Bowl against Louisville.

There is a notable change for the Rockets, though, as they also are in the midst of a coaching change as well. Longtime head coach Jason Candle left for UConn after his 10th season with the program, and Mike Jacobs is set to take over next year for the Rockets.

At this point in the offseason, there’s no way to logically predict how this future matchup between the Spartans and Rockets will play out. But, hey, it’s never too early to at least look ahead and prepare for the start of the Fitzgerald era next fall. Spring ball and then preseason fall camp will be here before we know it…

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Who does MSU football play to open 2026 season, Pat Fitzgerald era?