Illinois vs Michigan State rivalry
Michigan State leads the series 27-20-2 in meetings on record since 1955.
UPCOMINGNext meeting
Illinois 
vs 
Michigan State
vs Michigan State 2026-10-10 · 3:30 PM ET
Spartan Stadium
FS1
Spartan Stadium
FS1
All-time series
Illinois 2049 meetings since 195527 Michigan State
Series leader: Michigan State.
See the full all-time Illinois vs Michigan State head-to-head record and every meeting on record.
By decade
1950s 2 2
1960s 3 3
1970s 2 6
1980s 7 2
1990s 2 6
2000s 1 5
2010s 2 2
2020s 1 1
Series notes
Meetings played49
Series wins, Illinois20 of 49
Series wins, Michigan State27 of 49
Decided by 3 points or fewer10 of 49
Side by side, 2026 season
Illinois Michigan State - 30.6 11th
- Points per game
- 18.2 18th
- 26.0 15th
- Points allowed
- 23.2 12th
- 404.8 10th
- Total yards per game
- 305.6 18th
- 6.7 7th
- Yards per play
- 4.5 18th
- 155.6 9th
- Rush yards per game
- 123.6 15th
- 249.2 8th
- Pass yards per game
- 182.0 17th
- 22.4 9th
- First downs per game
- 20.4 12th
- 45.5% 8th
- Third-down rate
- 40.0% 13th
- -1 12th
- Turnover margin
- -4 16th
- 2 17th
- Takeaways
- 2 17th
- 3 18th
- Sacks
- 7 12th
- 6 5th
- Sacks allowed
- 17 18th
- 43.4 4th
- Penalty yards per game
- 34.0 3rd
- 27:26 18th
- Time of possession
- 31:41 7th
Season totals from CollegeFootballData. Small figure: rank within the Big Ten; the better side is highlighted.
Recent meetings
Results are read from official box scores and republished after every meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the record in Illinois vs Michigan State?
Michigan State leads the series 27-20-2 in meetings on record since 1955. That is Illinois 20, Michigan State 27 across 49 meetings on record.
When do Illinois and Michigan State play next?
The next Illinois vs Michigan State meeting is around Week 6 of the 2026 season at Spartan Stadium.