🏈 Bama to Play Michigan State in '16-'17

[Perdido Tide]

Will add Bama's press release shortly.

From MSU:

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis announced on Monday (April 27) that the Spartans have signed contracts for home-and-home football series with West Virginia (2014-15) and Alabama (2016-17). In addition, Hollis announced that Michigan State has signed a letter of intent to extend its series with Notre Dame through the 2025 season, with two-year breaks in 2014-15 and 2020-21.

"First, we're excited about continuing our long-standing relationship with Notre Dame," Hollis said. "It's one of the nation's oldest rivalries, and it's so important from a historical perspective for Michigan State.
"With the first two-year break in the MSU-Notre Dame series, we felt strongly about identifying a non-conference opponent with national appeal, and West Virginia certainly fills that void on our football schedule.

"It's also special to add a tradition-rich program like Alabama to our future schedule," Hollis continued. "Michigan State and Alabama haven't met on the football field yet, but historically there are some strong ties, dating back to the special relationship that Duffy Daugherty and `Bear' Bryant forged more than 50 years ago. That bond between the programs continues today, as Mark Dantonio previously served as an assistant coach under Nick Saban here at Michigan State. "

With both Notre Dame and Alabama on the 2016 and 2017 schedules, there won't be a team in the country that plays a tougher non-conference slate."

MSU

 

[TerryP]

Thanks for posting this...!!

 

[Perdido Tide]

1st game will be in Tuscaloosa btw.

For those keeping score at home it now looks like:

09: Virginia Tech
10: Penn State
11: @Penn Sate
12:
13: GT (not sure which one is home/away)
14: GT
15:
16: Michigan State
17: @ Michigan State

 

[psychojoe]

I hope that 2017 game is early in the year. Our guys might not handle a game up there in November very well.

 

[Scoops]

Alabama to play one of Saban's former teams -- Michigan State -- in 2016 and 2017...

Posted by [URL="http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/about.html"]Ian R. Rapoport -- The Birmingham News[/URL] April 27, 2009 3:47 PM

Categories: Football

Taking a trip back in time...
First some transfer news, now some scheduling news. And for those of you who like big-time nonconference matchups, you'll like this: Alabama has added a home-and-home with Michigan State to its future schedule. That's coach Nick Saban's former team, by the way. Saban has said he wants to play one big-time, intersectional game every year that TV might jump on.
Here is the release from UA:
TUSCALOOSA - The University of Alabama and Michigan State University have signed a contract for a home-and-home football series in 2016 and 2017. The two schools have never met on the gridiron and the first matchup is scheduled for September 3, 2016 in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama will visit Spartan Stadium on September 2, 2017.
Alabama has a 13-9 record all-time against current Big Ten schools (8-5 vs. Penn State, 3-0 vs. Ohio State, 1-2 vs. Michigan, 1-0 vs. Illinois, 0-1 vs. Minnesota and 0-1 vs. Wisconsin).
The Crimson Tide has already agreed to play Penn State and Georgia Tech in home-and-home contracts. The Nittany Lions visit Tuscaloosa on September 11, 2010 and UA makes the trip to Happy Valley on September 10, 2011. Alabama hosts Georgia Tech on September 14, 2013 with the return to Atlanta set for September 13, 2014.

 

[psychojoe]

I hope that 2017 game is early in the year. Our guys might not handle a game up there in November very well.

Boy am I embarassed. The article says we play up there on 9/02.17. :redface:

 

[planomateo]

you beat the newsbot to the info though

 

[Tider27]

Very nice! Maybe Coach Saban will be around so he can revisit some old friends. :lol:

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Sweet! Another road trip where I can catch BAMA football and a MLB game (Tigers) in one. :td:

 

[BamaJay73]

Good deal, glad to see Bama pick up another out of conference game that will be a good one. Bama does not dodge a tough game like other SEC schools.

 

[bamabarney]

Very cool, hope CNS is still with us then.

 

[252BAMA]

1st game will be in Tuscaloosa btw.

For those keeping score at home it now looks like:

09: Virginia Tech
10: Penn State
11: @Penn Sate
12:
13: GT (not sure which one is home/away)
14: GT
15:
16: Michigan State
17: @ Michigan State

At Tulane in 2012. Moved from this year in order to play VT. Gt is at home in 2013 and away in 2014. Bama very rarely schedules a series that does not begin at home. I have addressed the blank at 2015 in a separate thread.