Big Ten Matchups

Michigan State vs California

Michigan State Spartans vs California Golden Bears

Who wins Michigan State vs California?

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Head-to-head on record

Michigan State vs California series
TeamWinsSeries
Michigan State Spartans2Series level
California Golden Bears2

Meetings since 1957: 4. Source: CollegeFootballData game log.

The series in numbers

California has won the last 2 meetings.

2-2 Regular season
2-2 Last 4
26-24 Avg score
2 Longest Michigan State win run

Biggest Michigan State win 32-12 in 1958, a 20-point margin.

Biggest Michigan State loss 22-46 in 2002, a 24-point margin.

Every Michigan State vs California meeting

Michigan State Spartans vs California Golden Bears, every meeting on record
SeasonResultSiteScore
2008 California win Berkeley 31-38
2002 California win East Lansing 22-46
1958 Michigan State win East Lansing 32-12
1957 Michigan State win Berkeley 19-0

Scores from the Michigan State perspective. Source: CollegeFootballData game log, since 1957.

Matchup stats

Last five games

CaliforniaProvided by accfootball.co

DateOppResult
10-03 atUNLV L 31-39
09-25 vsCLEM L 10-24
09-19 vsWAG W 49-7
09-12 atSYR W 21-18
09-05 vsUCLA L 24-45

Michigan State

DateOppResult
10-03 atWIS L 3-31
09-26 vsNEB L 13-31
09-19 atND L 10-27
09-12 vsEMU W 35-7
09-04 vsTOL W 30-20

Completed results from CollegeFootballData via the CFB Data Hub

2026 standings

ACCProvided by accfootball.co

TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Miami 500 1.00024849
Pittsburgh 500 1.00019267
Duke 400 1.00014544
Virginia Tech 410 .80020699
Wake Forest 410 .800183115
SMU 410 .800173115
Virginia 320 .60016990
Florida State 320 .600166108
NC State 320 .600184128
Clemson 320 .60097129
Syracuse 220 .50013992
North Carolina 220 .5009678
Louisville 230 .400193146
California 230 .400135133
Boston College 230 .40095117
Stanford 230 .40087191
Georgia Tech 130 .250108104

Big Ten

TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Indiana 500 1.00022154
Nebraska 500 1.00021871
UCLA 400 1.00017975
USC 510 .833224153
Ohio State 410 .80021163
Iowa 410 .80014563
Wisconsin 410 .80015883
Minnesota 410 .80016090
Oregon 310 .75019093
Northwestern 310 .75013267
Penn State 320 .60016080
Washington 320 .60013392
Michigan 320 .60011579
Illinois 230 .400153130
Maryland 230 .400152151
Purdue 230 .400152175
Michigan State 230 .40091116
Rutgers 140 .200150161

Records computed from completed games this season

The series since 1957 is level at 2-2. Here is the series on record and how to watch when Michigan State and California meet.

How to watch Michigan State vs California

When Michigan State and California are scheduled, here is how to find the game.

  1. National TV National windows are set by Set weekly by the conference TV partners (ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1).
  2. Streaming ESPN+ and the FOX Sports app stream the national windows.
  3. Radio Listen on the Michigan State radio network.
  4. Confirm kickoff Kickoff and the exact channel are set by the networks before game week. Check the match center for the Michigan State vs California time and line.

The live time, line and how-to-watch details land on the match center and how to watch pages once the game is scheduled.

The Michigan State this season

Follow Michigan State in the title race on the Big Ten standings, and model the finish with the title race calculator. For the conference series that define the year, see the Big Ten rivalry pages, or browse every Big Ten matchup.

About the author and reviewer

Written by

The BIG10.CO Desk

Conference Newsroom · Independent Big Ten coverage since 2026

The house desk of BIG10.CO - independent researchers tracking every Big Ten game, stat and storyline.

Fact-checked by

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Fact & Data Review · Primary-source verification

Every stat and historical claim on data pages is checked against official box scores and the live feed before publication.

Independence: BIG10.CO was not paid by any school, network or sportsbook for this page. Corrections are logged in our editorial policy.

Michigan State vs California: the essentials

Michigan State Spartans vs California Golden Bears is a non-conference matchup that sets the Big Ten against the ACC (Power 4). The series since 1957 is level at 2-2. Across 4 meetings on record the series is level, and whenever the two programs are scheduled this page carries the Michigan State vs California head-to-head record, the matchup numbers for both sides, and how to watch on TV and streaming. It sits alongside the Michigan State Spartans team hub, the Big Ten this week round-up and the live conference standings. For California against the whole conference, see California vs the Big Ten.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the all-time record between Michigan State and California?

The series since 1957 is level at 2-2. The two programs have met 4 times on record.

How can I watch Michigan State vs California?

National windows are set by Set weekly by the conference TV partners (ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1). Kickoff time and the exact channel are set by the networks before game week.

Are Michigan State and California in the same conference?

No. Michigan State plays in the Big Ten. California plays in the ACC (Power 4). This is a non-conference game.