Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry

Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry

Indiana Hoosiers Michigan State Spartans
First meeting	October 28, 1922 Indiana, 14–6
Latest meeting	October 18, 2025 Indiana, 38–13
Next meeting	2027
Trophy	Old Brass Spittoon
Statistics
Meetings total	72
All-time series	Michigan State leads, 49–20–2 [1]
Trophy series	Michigan State leads, 49–16–1
Largest victory	Michigan State, 54–0 (1957)
Longest win streak	Michigan State, 8 (1950–1957)
Longest unbeaten streak	Michigan State, 9 (1970–1982)
Current win streak	Indiana, 2 (2024–present)

110km
68miles

Michigan State

Indiana

   

Locations of Indiana and Michigan State

The Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon is an American college football rivalry between the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan State Spartans.

History

The Old Brass Spittoon is awarded to the winner of the game. It was first presented in 1950. ^[2] This tradition was started by class president, Eugene McDermott of Allentown, PA.^{[ citation needed ]}

Prior to the expansion of the Big Ten in 2011, there were stoppages in the series because the schools were not protected rivals in the rotating conference schedule (with no games played in 1971 and 1972, 1979 and 1980, 1999 and 2000, and 2009 and 2010).

With the split of the Big Ten into divisions starting in 2011, Indiana and Michigan State were placed in separate divisions but were assigned as "cross-over" rivals, meaning they played each other every year. This arrangement lasted through the 2013 season. After the addition of Maryland and Rutgers into the Big Ten starting in 2014, the subsequent geographical realignment of the divisions placed both Indiana and Michigan State in the Big Ten East, assuring that the rivalry will be renewed annually.

In 2015, Michigan State defeated Indiana en route to a Big Ten Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

With the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington in 2023, the Big Ten announced league football opponents for the 2024 to 2028 seasons. Indiana and Michigan State was not kept as a protected matchup. They are scheduled to meet in 2024, 2025, and 2027. ^[3]

In 2025, Indiana defeated Michigan State 38–13 on their way to the program's third-ever Big Ten title, second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance, and first national championship.

Game results

Indiana victories

Michigan State victories

Tie games

Forfeited win [n 1] / Vacated win [n 2]

No. Date Location Winner Score 1 October 28, 1922 Bloomington, IN Indiana 14–6 2 November 5, 1927 Bloomington, IN Indiana 33–7 3 November 18, 1939 East Lansing, MI Tie 7–7 4 November 9, 1940 Bloomington, IN Indiana 20–0 5 November 4, 1950 East Lansing, MI #13 Michigan State 35–0 6 November 17, 1951 Bloomington, IN #1 Michigan State 30–26 7 November 8, 1952 Bloomington, IN #1 Michigan State 41–14 8 October 17, 1953 East Lansing, MI #2 Michigan State 47–18 9 October 9, 1954 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 21–14 10 September 24, 1955 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 20–13 11 October 13, 1956 East Lansing, MI #2 Michigan State 53–6 12 September 28, 1957 East Lansing, MI #4 Michigan State 54–0 13 November 8, 1958 Bloomington, IN Indiana 6–0 14 October 24, 1959 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 14–6 15 October 22, 1960 Bloomington, IN #13 Michigan State 35–0 16 October 28, 1961 East Lansing, MI #1 Michigan State 35–0 17 October 27, 1962 Bloomington, IN #10 Michigan State 26–8 18 October 19, 1963 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 20–3 19 October 17, 1964 Bloomington, IN Indiana 27–20 20 November 13, 1965 East Lansing, MI #1 Michigan State 27–13 21 November 12, 1966 Bloomington, IN #2 Michigan State 37–19 22 November 11, 1967 East Lansing, MI #6 Indiana 14–13 23 November 9, 1968 East Lansing, MI Indiana 24–22 24 November 1, 1969 East Lansing, MI Indiana 16–0 25 October 31, 1970 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 32–7 26 November 17, 1973 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 10–9 27 November 16, 1974 Bloomington, IN #15 Michigan State 19–10 28 November 8, 1975 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 14–6 29 November 6, 1976 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 23–0 30 October 15, 1977 Bloomington, IN Tie 13–13 31 October 21, 1978 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 49–14 32 October 31, 1981 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 26–3 33 October 30, 1982 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 22–14 34 October 15, 1983 Bloomington, IN Indiana 24–12 35 October 13, 1984 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 13–6 36 November 9, 1985 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 35–16 37 November 8, 1986 East Lansing, MI Indiana 17–14 No. Date Location Winner Score 38 November 14, 1987 East Lansing, MI #13 Michigan State 27–3 39 November 12, 1988 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 38–12 40 November 4, 1989 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 51–20 41 November 3, 1990 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 45–20 42 October 5, 1991 Bloomington, IN Indiana 31–0 43 October 3, 1992 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 42–31 44 October 30, 1993 Bloomington, IN #23 Indiana 10–0 45 October 29, 1994 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 27–21 46 November 11, 1995 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 31–3 47 November 9, 1996 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 38–15 48 October 11, 1997 Bloomington, IN #11 Michigan State 38–6 49 October 10, 1998 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 38–31 50 November 10, 2001 East Lansing, MI Indiana 37–28 51 November 9, 2002 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 56–21 52 October 4, 2003 East Lansing, MI #25 Michigan State 31–3 53 September 25, 2004 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 30–20 54 October 29, 2005 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 46–15 55 October 28, 2006 Bloomington, IN Indiana 46–21 56 October 13, 2007 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 52–27 57 September 27, 2008 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 42–29 58 November 19, 2011 East Lansing, MI #12 Michigan State 55–3 59 October 6, 2012 Bloomington, IN Michigan State 31–27 60 October 12, 2013 East Lansing, MI Michigan State 42–28 61 October 18, 2014 Bloomington, IN #8 Michigan State 56–17 62 October 24, 2015 East Lansing, MI #7 Michigan State 52–26 63 October 1, 2016 Bloomington, IN Indiana 24–21OT 64 October 21, 2017 East Lansing, MI #18 Michigan State 17–9 65 September 22, 2018 Bloomington, IN #24 Michigan State 35–21 66 September 28, 2019 East Lansing, MI #25 Michigan State 40–31 67 November 14, 2020 East Lansing, MI #10 Indiana 24–0 68 October 16, 2021 Bloomington, IN #10 Michigan State 20–15 69 November 19, 2022 East Lansing, MI Indiana 39–312OT 70 November 18, 2023 Bloomington, IN Michigan State† 24–21 71 November 2, 2024 East Lansing, MI #13 Indiana 47–10 72 October 18, 2025 Bloomington, IN #3 Indiana 38–13 Series: Michigan State leads 49–20–2

By decade (through 2025).

Decade	Indiana	Michigan State	Tie
1920s	2
1930s			1
1940s	1
1950s	1	9
1960s	4	6
1970s		6	1
1980s	2	7
1990s	3	6
2000s	2	6
2010s	1	8
2020s	4	1
Total	20	49	2

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

Notes

1. Michigan State forfeited all five wins from the 1994 season due to use of an ineligible player. ^[4]
2. Michigan State vacated all four wins from the 2023 season due to use of three ineligible players. ^[5]

References

1. "Winsipedia – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Michigan State Spartans football series history". Winsipedia.
2. "A trophy lost in time, the Old Brass Spittoon". statenews.com. The State News. When MSU takes on Indiana on Saturday, the two teams will duke it out for the Old Brass Spittoon. With a trophy involved, this game is technically a rivalry game. Yes, Indiana and MSU are considered rivals and the trophy dates back to 1950.
3. "Big Ten Conference Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024-28". Big Ten Conference. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
4. "Michigan State Forfeits 1994 Football Victories Due to Violation". AP NEWS. Michigan State will forfeit its five football victories of 1994 because it used an ineligible player, university president M. Peter McPherson said Wednesday. McPherson said NCAA regulations were violated by an academic adviser in order to keep a player eligible and that a technical violation occurred when a Florida man gave gifts to recruits.
5. Trotter, Jake. "MSU gets 3-year probation; 14 wins from 3 seasons vacated". ESPN.