(WXYZ) — The No. 6 Michigan Wolverines are heading to East Lansing on Saturday to take on the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans in what is one of the most-anticipated rivalry games between the two schools in years.
Related: From 'little brother' to 'trouble with a snap,' a history of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry
Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to descend upon East Lansing for the game and tailgating, and there will be two major shows there as well – ESPN's College GameDay and Fox's Big Noon Kickoff, drawing students from both schools and fans from around the state.
If you're heading to the game or to tailgate, there are some important things you need to know. Check them out below from Michigan State University.
How to watch
7 Action News will have live coverage from East Lansing all morning long before the game kicks off.
The game starts at noon and you can watch it on Fox.
Weather
Saturday will have lows in the 40s and a high of 56, according to 7 First Alert Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes.
There is a chance of rain for metro Detroit with light, steady rain in the morning and showers in the early afternoon, but the rain is likely to stay east of East Lansing.
For the football game, he said it's likely to stay dry, but there is a chance of rain for southeast Michigan.
Tailgating: Mostly cloudy & chilly, 51 degrees
Kick off at noon: Mostly cloudy, 53 degrees
After the game: Mostly cloudy, 55 degrees
COVID-19 and face mask rules
The university has a face mask requirement for all indoor areas of campus buildings. That includes the concourse of Spartan Stadium, restrooms, elevators, indoor suite and club areas and the press box.
Face masks are encouraged but not required in the outdoor seating bowl of Spartan Stadium.
Permitted items
- Seat cushions without backs or zippered sections that cannot be used as a bag
- Binoculars (but no case)
- Pagers and cell phones
- Small cameras and radios
- Blankets and rain apparel
- One factory-sealed 20-ounce water bottle per person
Prohibited items
- Purses or bags of any size
- Weapons
- Containers of any kind, including aerosol cans and spray cans
- Alcoholic beverages and food of any kind
- Coolers, thermoses, cups, bottles, cans, flasks and open bottled water
- Camcorders and tripods and selfie-sticks
- Strollers
- Non-approved chair backs
- Projecticles
- Other potentially dangerous objects
- All tobacco products
Tailgating
The university said tailgating lots will open at 7 a.m. and fans are asked not to come before the times as traffic lineups will not be allowed.
Tailgating is permitted in all public parking areas, but vehicles can't be parked on grass surfaces north of the Red Cedar River.
Tickets
The game is sold out, but there are still tickets available on secondary markets. The university is warning fans to be aware of potential scams, and is urging people to buy from the official ticket partner, StubHub. As of Thursday morning, tickets on StubHub are more than $200 before fees.
Traffic information
MSU has some important traffic information for those heading to East Lansing for the game.
If you're coming from the east (I-96), you're advised to take the Okemos Rd. exit. You'll be routed from Okemos Rd. and Jolly Rd. to shuttle parking areas. It's free and the cost of the shuttle is $5. Fans with parking passes should follow Jolly Road to Hagadorn Road and go north to Shaw Lane. Enter campus on Shaw Lane and proceed to your designated lot.
Coming from the west, you should follow I-96 to the 127 north and exit at the Jolly/Dunkel Rd. exit. Go east on Dunckel Road to Forest Road. You will be routed to shuttle parking near Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road. The parking is free and the cost of the shuttle is $5.
From the north and south, fans can exit 127 onto Trowbridge Rd. It usually gets heavy traffic, according to the university, and another option would be to take the Kalamazoo St. exit.
Pregame shows
As mentioned earlier, Fox's Big Noon Kickoff and ESPN's College GameDay will both be on site ahead of the game.
Big Noon Kickoff starts at 10 a.m. and fans can get there earlier. There will be free food, celebrity guests, swag and more. They'll be live from the STEM facility at the southeast corner of Spartan Stadium.
College GameDay will have Mel Tucker and Tom Izzo live during their broadcast, which will take place at Ralph Young Field from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then inside Spartan Stadium for the final hour.
The fan pit opens at 5:30 a.m. with entry at the northeast corner of Ralph Young Field, adjacent to Gate D of Spartan Stadium.
Marching bands
The Spartan Marching Band and University of Michigan Marching Band will be teaming up at halftime for a Halloween "Spooktacular" featuring music from "Ghostbusters," "Scooby Doo" and "The Munsters," as well as classical spooky music.
