Michigan State’s path back to Big Ten relevance starts with something far more modest than a conference title chase: simply getting the program pointed in the right direction again.
The Spartans were once a fixture in the conversation under Mark Dantonio, a team that could expect success almost every year and spend real time thinking about conference and national titles. Those days feel distant now. Michigan State has finished below .500 in each of the last four seasons, and its last six-win season came in 2021, when it won 11 games and stood among the Big Ten’s best.
There is at least some reason for optimism this fall. New head coach Pat Fitzgerald has overseen a major offseason rebuild, one that brought in roughly 30 transfers. A good number of those newcomers are expected to play meaningful snaps right away, which gives the Spartans a different look and, for the first time in a while, a sense that they may be moving in the right direction.
Still, the gap between “better” and “contending” remains wide.
Michigan State could be one of the surprise teams in college football if everything clicks - if the quarterback takes a step, if the run game holds up, if the defense improves. But even with that upside, the realistic view is that the Spartans are a couple of years away from truly entering the Big Ten championship picture.
Getting to .500 would already count as a major step forward. That would signal real progress in a program that needs it. There are still questions all over the roster, from the pass rush to the wide receivers to Alessio Milivojevic’s development at quarterback, and the sheer number of new additions and new starters makes the whole operation harder to project.
For now, Michigan State is not close to conference contention. The first goal is simpler than that: rebuild the foundation, raise the level of play, and get back to being respectable before talking about anything bigger.
Fitzgerald should be able to build a strong culture at a school that expects excellence in football as well as basketball. If that progress comes together across the board, winning the Big Ten Championship beyond 2026 can become a real target.
In Other News...
MSU Fall Camp Rankings Expose One Familiar Fear About This Team
With Michigan States opener against Toledo still 43 days away, fall camp is already offering a useful snapshot of where this roster feels sturdier and where the old worries still linger. The offensive line looks like the clearest place for optimism after a major reset up front, and the quarterback room has enough experience to keep the staff from panicking as camp unfolds.
The rest of the rankings paint a more familiar picture for a team still trying to define itself on both sides of the ball. Tight end remains hard to project after the departures of Jack Velling and Michael Masunas, the receiver group still needs more clarity behind Chrishon McCray, and the defensive front is carrying the kind of depth and pass-rush questions that can follow a team deep into August if they are not answered soon. [Read more 🡒]
Spartans Fans Just Got A Telling New Read On Their QB Choice
Michigan States quarterback situation got a fresh layer of outside scrutiny this week when The Athletic slotted new starter Alessio Milivojevic in the sixth of seven preseason tiers at the position. The ranking put him 69th nationally, a reminder that the Spartans are heading into the season with plenty still to prove under center and even more attention on how quickly Milivojevic can settle into the job.
The evaluation wasnt all negative, either. An unnamed Big Ten assistant coach credited Milivojevics passing ability, but also raised questions about his athleticism and whether he can handle pressure well enough to keep plays alive. For Michigan State, that mix of praise and concern is exactly why his performance looms so large this fall. [Read more 🡒]