MSU vs. U of M: a brief history of the intense rivalry

Over the years, Michiganders have popularized a multitude of activities. From Detroit to Mackinac Island to wherever you call ‘up north,’ the 26th state has a personality that helps it stand out.

However, one thing many Michiganders have in common is their love for sports, and if you follow college football, you know that Michigan has one of the best rivalries in the country, which will be on display once again this Saturday when the Wolverines travel to Spartan Stadium in a matchup of undefeated teams.

Historically:

Both MSU and U of M have incredible history. Michigan State was originally the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, founded in 1855. The University of Michigan started as a prep school in Detroit in 1817, until it moved to Ann Arbor in 1837, where it stands today.

These days, if there is a conversation about the Spartans and the Wolverines, there is almost always at least one Michigan State fan and at least one Michigan fan.  Michigan fans typically argue that they are better because U of M has a more prestigious education. After all, their acceptance rate is 22.9%, while Michigan State’s is 71.1%.

State fans counter this by discussing their athletic superiority and campus atmosphere.  Historically though, it’s not even close- the Wolverines have an all-time football record of 71 wins and 37 losses against MSU. Michigan also has more trophy series wins, standing at 38-28. To top it off, the Wolverines have the longest win streak against MSU (14 games).

Times Change:

While the Wolverines hold the all-time football advantage in the rivalry, the Spartans hold the advantage recently. After the unexpected retirement of Mark Dantonio, Michigan State was in dire need of a new coach, and there weren’t many options at a time in  February of 2020. Luckily for the Spartans, Mel Tucker took the position last year. This means the current Michigan State coach has a record of 1-0 after winning against the rival school for the first time last Halloween. Michigan’s current coach, Jim Harbaugh, is 3-3 over his career against the Spartans. State has won 7 of the last 11 meetings.

Who Students Root For:

With Milford High School being about equal distance to both Ann Arbor and East Lansing, students have shown mixed support over the years.

Of the 124 people polled, 68 of them sided with Michigan State, and 56 sided with Michigan, a 54-46 split. Some people were a lot more invested in the debate than others, but there is one thing to keep in mind before we crown MSU the favorite school amongst our students. We must all consider that of the more than 1,300 students only 9 percent were polled.

To summarize, you’ve seen the all-time record, you’ve seen what the coaching looks like today, and you’ve seen student preferences. This leaves one question: Who do you have winning?