If Wisconsin is going to avenge last season's loss to fellow Big Ten champion Michigan State, the Badgers will have to get it done under the lights at Spartan Stadium.
ESPN announced Thursday that Wisconsin's Oct. 22 trip to MSU - Homecoming for the Spartans - will kick off at 8 p.m. and be televised by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. This comes one week after MSU announced the move of its season opener against Youngstown State to Friday, Sept. 2 for a 7:30 p.m. start on the Big Ten Network.
Those will be the 10th and 11th night games in MSU history, and the Wisconsin game could be another big one. MSU and Wisconsin both are considered top contenders in their respective divisions - the Legends for MSU and the Leaders for Wisconsin - which will be added to the Big Ten in 2011 along with a championship game and a 12th team in Nebraska.
The Spartans beat Wisconsin 34-24 last season in the Big Ten opener at Spartan Stadium, and those teams eventually tied for the Big Ten title along with Ohio State at 7-1 in league play. The Badgers won the three-team tiebreaker and played in the Rose Bowl.
"Both teams play a similar style of physical football," MSU senior quarterback Kirk Cousins said in a statement. "We each try to out-hit, out-block and out-execute the other. If recent history means anything, the fans should expect another close game.
"We're looking forward to the challenge of playing a talented Wisconsin team in prime time. This announcement provides further motivation for the entire team to continue to work hard throughout the summer, so that we're all ready to go when preseason camp opens in August. Our expectations are high for the upcoming season, so we must continue to press forward and refuse to take anything for granted."
It's still possible MSU could have more night games next season. The Big Ten Network has yet to unveil its prime-time schedule for league contests.
