The Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl was on its last legs after 2013. The Detroit Lions got into the bowl business and created their own game in Ford Field, leaving the Little Caesar's Bowl without a "hot-and-ready" home. Then, a last-ditch idea entered the conversation. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Chair & Exec Dir Ken Hoffman floated Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, as a possibility.
"Why wouldn't Mike Ilitch and Little Caesars want to have a bowl game there?" he asked.
Of course, this never happened, and the Quick Lane Bowl relegated the Little Caesar's Bowl as a relic of Motor City history. However, we should talk about football at Comerica Park again.
Michigan State will play a Thanksgiving Weekend conference home game at Ford Field for the second time in three years. The 2023 matchup against Penn State at Ford Field shocked many, but rumors of NBC's heavy involvement in moving the game to primetime as a "season finale" for their B1G Saturday Night broadcasts made the move understandable. After all, who wants to sit in below-freezing temperatures at night?
Well, the Spartans did it again. This time, faux rival Maryland travels to Ford Field for Michigan State's season finale. Some say it is a welcome solution to regularly poor Thanksgiving weekend home attendance at Spartan Stadium. Others dislike moving a home game to a "soulless" pro stadium.
What are some College Football neutral site games no one ever asked for? And why is Michigan State vs Maryland at Ford Field near the top of that list?
Whatever your opinion, it is clear that Michigan State has an issue. Unlike several conference mates, they lack a Thanksgiving weekend rival in most years. Penn State is no longer a protected rivalry in the conference. Thus, the Spartans sometimes end the season against Rutgers, like in 2024 or Maryland. Consequently, Thanksgiving travel, poor weather, recent disappointing seasons, and the lack of rivalries create poor attendance. The table below shows the extent of the problem:
Thanksgiving Weekend Spartan Stadium Games Against Non-Penn State Opponents since 2014:
| Year | Opponent | Attendance | % Capacity Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Rutgers | 64951 | 86.8% |
| 2019 | Maryland | 51336 | 68.6% |
| 2024 | Rutgers | 50338 | 67.2% |
If this will be a semi-regular occurrence, why not consider Comerica Park? Sure, Comerica Park does not have the capacity of Ford Field. Its 41,083-seat capacity is nearly 24,000 seats less than the Lions' home. Yet, the novelty makes up for it. Fellow Big Ten school Northwestern played national champion Ohio State and will host 2023 national champion Michigan games at similarly-sized Wrigley Park, so why not Comerica Park? If Northwestern fans (or more likely Ohio State and Michigan fans) can bear the Midwestern cold for a day game at a ballpark, then why can't Michigan State fans?
The 2023 Ford Field game seemed like a success for the Michigan State athletic department, but the novelty will wear off if this becomes a "tradition." Penn State will bring local fans to Ford Field, but there is no guarantee Maryland or Rutgers will. A game at Comerica Park is a change of pace and brings curiosity to a program quickly falling behind its in-state rivals. Michigan State only has to do it once to make it a must-see event for the program to sell out Comerica Park.
Furthermore, Comerica Park's smaller size could lower rental costs for the Spartans. Sure, the ticket revenue would decrease, but lower rental costs and potentially fewer logistical headaches could make up for it.
The Ford Field games look like they're here to stay for Michigan State. It is a creative solution for a growing problem, but at some point, the idea will be stale. Michigan State should at least consider a game at Comerica Park to give fans a memorable experience and rejuvenate some interest for the middling program.
