Michigan State football fans will have to wait a little longer to watch the Spartans take the field on Saturday. Following a chaotic Friday that left Washington’s football team stranded in Seattle, the Big Ten Conference has officially announced a new kickoff time for the matchup at Spartan Stadium.
Saturday’s game between Michigan State and Washington will now kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET, rather than the originally scheduled 4:15 p.m. start. The contest will still be televised on Big Ten Network.
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The change comes after a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop disrupted flights across the country on Friday, leaving the Huskies scrambling to make their way to East Lansing.
According to the Big Ten Conference’s official announcement, the decision to move kickoff was made because of Washington’s travel delays.
Washington’s Travel Nightmare Forces Kickoff Change
As previously reported, Washington’s travel situation created legitimate concerns about whether Saturday’s game could be played as scheduled. The Huskies were unable to depart Seattle on time after the FAA temporarily halted flights nationwide because of communications problems.
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According to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, Washington finally departed Seattle around 10:50 p.m. ET on Friday, with its flight expected to land in Lansing around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
That is hardly ideal preparation for a Big Ten football game, especially considering the Huskies still have to get settled and prepare for an important conference matchup.
Fortunately, the game remains scheduled for Saturday. The extra 75 minutes should at least provide Washington with a little more breathing room following an exhausting travel situation.
What Michigan State Fans Need to Know
Michigan State has also confirmed updated game-day information for fans planning to attend Saturday’s contest. According to the university’s official announcement, the schedule is as follows:
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New kickoff: 5:30 p.m. ET
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Original kickoff: 4:15 p.m. ET
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Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing
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Television: Big Ten Network
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Parking lots open: 7:00 a.m.
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Student section gates: 3:30 p.m.
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MSUFCU Club & Suites: 3:30 p.m.
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All other stadium gates: 4:00 p.m.
For Michigan State, the game carries enormous importance beyond the unusual circumstances surrounding Washington’s arrival. The Spartans enter the matchup at 3-6 after their stunning 15-6 victory over Michigan, which snapped a six-game losing streak and kept their bowl hopes alive.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team must win its final three games to reach six victories, beginning with Washington. The Huskies, meanwhile, enter at 5-4 and need just one more victory to reach the six-win mark.
The kickoff time has changed, but the stakes certainly have not. And after everything Washington went through just to get to East Lansing, Saturday’s game should be an interesting one.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
