Why Year 1 Immediately Crucial for MSU and Pat Fitzgerald

Michigan State needs to end its bowl drought sooner rather than later.

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls out to players during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Patience isn't exactly a virtue in East Lansing right now.

Michigan State is in the middle of its toughest stretch in some time. The Spartans have missed out on bowl eligibility for four consecutive years, the longest drought in the Big Ten. MSU hasn't had four consecutive losing seasons since a five-year streak from 1979-83. It's up to Pat Fitzgerald to try to reverse the downward trend.

Fitzgerald's Overall Timeline

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald gives out instructions during the Spartans' first day of fall camp on Thursday, August 6, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

At an absolute minimum, Fitzgerald is going to get three years. A lot of that has to do with the massive buyout Michigan State will be paying Jonathan Smith. The Spartans are going to pay him about $30 million over the next five years (through the 2030 season). That number will be offset by the salary of whatever job Smith works, but he hasn't been hired anywhere yet.

From a financial standpoint, it's tough to see MSU moving on from Fitzgerald as quickly as it did from Smith. Fitzgerald's contract is shorter and much more university-friendly than Smith's, but that hefty buyout sum that will be on the books for five seasons means Michigan State really needs things to work out between it and Fitz.

Schedule Urgency

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Getting off to a positive start in 2026 is also super important because things won't get any easier in 2027. The Spartans' schedule is ranked 25th in the nation on ESPN's College Football Power Index, but I'd guess MSU's 2027 slate will (or should) easily end up in the top 10.

Firstly, Notre Dame is still on there. Michigan State will host the Fighting Irish next season, but that's still an A1-level non-conference game. MSU then has Ohio State, Penn State, and Washington all on the road. The Spartans' best Big Ten home games will likely be Indiana and Michigan. That's six teams on the 2027 schedule that could very well be top-25 opponents. Notre Dame and Ohio State being No. 1 would hardly be a surprise.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald patrols the field during his team's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

This year's schedule, by comparison, is probably more favorable. Michigan State has four preseason AP Top 25 teams on its schedule right now, but the only games where a victory seems truly difficult to imagine are Notre Dame and Oregon.

That stretch post-Notre Dame of Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, and UCLA is pretty manageable, and it's the run that will probably define this season. FPI puts it as the seventh-toughest slate in the Big Ten.