Northwestern, Michigan State Set for First Meeting Between Fitzgerald and Former Program
The trending topic in Chicago covers the upcoming football game between No. 25 Northwestern and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. This game is notable as it marks the first meeting between Pat Fitzgerald, the first-year head coach of Michigan State,…
Chicago, IL, October 16, 2026 —
The upcoming football game between No. 25 Northwestern and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium will be the first meeting between Michigan State’s first-year head coach, Pat Fitzgerald, and Northwestern, the program where he played and coached for more than two decades.
Fitzgerald’s connection to Northwestern is the notable storyline identified ahead of the game. He spent over two decades with the program as both a player and a coach before departing amid a hazing investigation. The available information does not provide further details about the investigation or specify the circumstances of his departure.
The matchup brings Fitzgerald against his former program, but no additional details about the game itself were provided. The date and kickoff time, the teams’ records, and any expected participants or game-related developments were not specified. No statements from Fitzgerald, Northwestern or Michigan State were included in the information provided.
As a result, the significance described here is limited to the first meeting between Fitzgerald and Northwestern since his departure. The game is identified as upcoming, and Northwestern is listed as No. 25. No score or postgame outcome is available in the supplied summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Steve Greenberg on chicago.suntimes.com, see more information here.
