Michigan State vs Penn StateLand Grant Trophy
The trophy George Perles and Joe Paterno agreed to in 1993 for two land-grant schools founded days apart in 1855.
Updated · BettorEdge
Michigan State and Penn State are not on each other's schedule right now. The trophy stays with Penn State until they meet again. The Big Ten schedule skips some years, and the teams do not meet in 2026.
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Start a pick'em contestHow the Land Grant Trophy came to be
The trophy was created in 1993, when Penn State joined the Big Ten and became a conference opponent of Michigan State.
Head coaches George Perles of Michigan State and Joe Paterno of Penn State agreed to make the matchup a trophy game, and Perles did the design.
The name honors both schools' roots as pioneer land-grant universities. They were founded in 1855 as agricultural colleges, only days apart.
The game was set as the season finale for both teams, and Penn State won the first trophy game 38-37 in East Lansing on November 27, 1993.
The trophy itself. A large, heavy, multi-tiered trophy designed by former Michigan State coach George Perles, famously clunky and sometimes called one of the ugliest in college football. It shows pictures of Penn State's Old Main and Michigan State's Beaumont Tower along with small figurines of the Spartan and the Nittany Lion.
Land Grant Trophy history
- 1914
First meeting: Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State) wins 6-3 at State College.
- 1993
Penn State joins the Big Ten, and the first Land Grant Trophy game goes to Penn State, 38-37 in East Lansing.
- 2010
Michigan State wins 28-22 at State College. The teams then take a break from the series.
- 2014
The series resumes after a gap from 2011 to 2013 caused by Big Ten realignment, and Michigan State wins 34-10.
- 2023
Penn State wins 42-0 in a neutral-site game at Ford Field in Detroit.
- 2024
No game for the first time since 2013, after the Big Ten dropped divisions. Penn State keeps the trophy.
- 2025
Penn State wins 28-10 at Spartan Stadium on November 15, which snaps a six-game Penn State losing streak and is interim coach Terry Smith's first win.
Recent results
| Season | Result | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Penn State Nittany Lions 28, Michigan State Spartans 10 | Spartan Stadium |
| 2023 | Penn State Nittany Lions 42, Michigan State Spartans 0 | Ford Field |
| 2022 | Penn State Nittany Lions 35, Michigan State Spartans 16 | Beaver Stadium |
| 2021 | Michigan State Spartans 30, Penn State Nittany Lions 27 | Spartan Stadium |
Land Grant Trophy facts worth knowing
The two schools were founded as agricultural colleges in 1855, about 10 days apart, which is why the trophy is named for the land-grant movement.
Penn State won 13 of the first 18 Land Grant Trophy games.
The trophy is no longer an annual prize. After the Big Ten dropped divisions, the teams skipped 2024 and 2026, so each winner gets to keep it for two years.
In the first meeting, in 1914, the Spartans played as Michigan Agricultural College and won 6-3 at State College. The teams didn't meet again for more than a decade.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Land Grant Trophy?+
The Land Grant Trophy is the trophy Michigan State and Penn State play for in college football, first awarded in 1993. A large, heavy, multi-tiered trophy designed by former Michigan State coach George Perles, famously clunky and sometimes called one of the ugliest in college football. It shows pictures of Penn State's Old Main and Michigan State's Beaumont Tower along with small figurines of the Spartan and the Nittany Lion.
How did the Land Grant Trophy come to be?+
The trophy was created in 1993, when Penn State joined the Big Ten and became a conference opponent of Michigan State.
Who has the Land Grant Trophy right now?+
Penn State holds the Land Grant Trophy after winning the 2025 game, Penn State 28, Michigan State 10. The live block on this page updates as soon as the next meeting is played.
Who leads the Michigan State-Penn State series?+
Penn State leads the all-time series 20-18-1 as of the end of the 2025 season. In games played for the Land Grant Trophy since 1993, Penn State leads 19-10.
When is the next Land Grant Trophy game?+
No Michigan State-Penn State game is on ESPN's schedule right now. Conference schedules rotate, so check back as the next season's slate is released.
Where can I bet on the Land Grant Trophy game?+
You can bet Michigan State vs Penn State on BettorEdge, a peer-to-peer marketplace where you trade with other bettors rather than a sportsbook, so the price carries no built-in house vig. You can also run a free pick'em contest for the game with your group.
More college football
Records and the current holder are as of the end of the 2025 season; the next-game block and recent results update from ESPN.Sources: en.wikipedia.org, onwardstate.com, onwardstate.com, onwardstate.com.
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