Spartan Stadium is rolling into the new football season with a bigger menu and a faster way to get through the line.
Michigan State is pushing a fresh wave of concessions changes for the Sept. 4 home opener against Toledo, one year after privatizing stadium food service and handing the operation to Levy, the Chicago-based sports and entertainment hospitality company. The first year came with growing pains - fans dealt with long waits, shortages and problems at grab-and-go stations and with the cashless system - but MSU says the setup is moving in the right direction.
"Last year was the first year with Levy and they continued to improve throughout the season," MSU Athletics Spokesperson Matt Larson told the State Journal.
Larson said Levy wants to deliver an "even more elevated level of service and options to the fans at Spartan Stadium."
One of the biggest changes is aimed squarely at the lines. Sections 1 and 23 will feature Amazon Just Walk Out technology, allowing fans to scan a credit card, grab what they want and head out without stopping at a register. Larson said the system is already in use at other Levy venues, including Ford Field in Detroit, but this will be its first appearance on MSU’s campus.
"While it's new to Spartan Stadium, it's not new in the concessions business," Larson said.
The drink options are getting a boost too. Cutwater canned cocktails are joining the lineup, giving fans ready-made choices that range from a Long Island iced tea to a lime margarita. MSU first added alcohol sales in 2023, starting with eight kinds of beer and seltzer, and the offerings have grown since then.
Craft Standard Cocktails will also be available on tap in sections 5, 21, 24 and 211. The drink prices were not immediately available.
Larson said these additions come on top of the alcohol already sold at the stadium, which includes Coors Light, Labatt Blue, Yuengling, North Peak Sparta IPA, Lansing Brewing Company's Hang Time Wheat Ale and Blood Orange Blonde, Nutrl Seltzers and Twisted Tea.
Food-wise, the stadium is adding a new batch of restaurant partners for fans looking for something beyond the usual game-day staples. King of the Grill will serve barbeque sandwiches, while Ohana and Fuel'd will offer items such as orange chicken and sushi bowls.
University Weiner is set to sell specialty hot dogs, and Varsity Bird will bring chicken tenders and sandwiches. The MSU Dairy Store will also be on hand with Spartan Swirl ice cream pints, according to a statement from the Athletic Department.
Those additions come alongside familiar names that are sticking around. Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Ben's Pretzels, Gruff's Grill, Jersey Mikes, Little Caesars, Melting Moments and Nacho Zone will still be available inside Spartan Stadium this season.
In Other News...
Michigan States New Era Already Comes With An Uncomfortable Opener
Pat Fitzgerald opened his first game week press conference at Michigan State by giving Toledo its due, calling the Rockets a strong program and making clear the opener will not be a soft landing for a new coaching staff. For a fan base already trying to get a feel for a fresh era, the broader framing mattered almost as much as the matchup itself, because the first game always becomes a referendum on how quickly a new coach can settle a team and a season.
The early betting move toward Toledo only added to the uneasiness around a game that had already taken on extra weight. Michigan State supporters know this kind of opening has a history attached to it, with past season debuts under new coaches often carrying the same mix of hope, uncertainty and pressure, and now Fitzgeralds staff gets its first chance to answer all of those questions at once. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Took A Brutal Hit Before The Big Ten Race Begins
Michigans hopes for a fast start to the season took a major blow overseas, where freshman Brandon McCoy suffered an ACL injury in an exhibition game and has since been ruled out for the year. The injury lands especially hard because McCoy was expected to step in as an immediate difference-maker for a team with big goals in the Big Ten and beyond.
McCoy also arrived with legitimate pro buzz, with some around the program viewing him as a potential first-round NBA draft pick if his season went the right way. Instead, Michigan now has to rework its early-season outlook without one of its most important newcomers, a setback that could ripple through a conference race that already promises little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Will Want To See Which Spartans Survived NFL Cuts
The NFLs final roster cuts brought the usual mix of relief and disappointment, and for Michigan State fans there was plenty to track as former Spartans worked to secure their places for the coming season. Across the league, players who once wore green and white surfaced on active rosters with teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders, keeping Michigan States pro pipeline very much alive heading into the 2026 season.
It is the kind of late-summer checkpoint that matters in East Lansing, where every opening day roster spot says something about the programs reach beyond campus. A dozen former Spartans came through the cutdown process still standing, a reminder that Michigan State continues to have a presence scattered across the NFL even as each individual players path to getting there looks a little different. [Read more 🡒]