Michigan to travel to No. 19 Michigan State in battle for Big Bear

The University of Michigan men's soccer team will travel to East Lansing on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to face No. 19-ranked Michigan State at 7 p.m. in the Battle for Big Bear at DeMartin Stadium. The match will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan moved to a 3-4-3 overall record and 0-2-2 in conference play after earning a Big Ten point in a scoreless draw with Penn State on Friday, Oct. 9. Senior Isaiah Goldson made his 2026 debut in net for the Maize and Blue, posting a clean sheet with three saves against Penn State. Nico Pendleton and Joao Paulo Ramos are tied for the team lead with three assists apiece, and both have also scored a goal this season. Michael Ramirez returned to the lineup in a reserve role against Penn State after missing the first eight matches of the season due to injury; Ramirez led the team in points in 2025.

Michigan has proven tough defensively, as the Maize and Blue have not allowed more than two goals in any match this season and rank fifth in the Big Ten with a 1.10 goals-against average. The Wolverines and Spartans will renew their in-state rivalry for the 34th time; the last meeting between the two sides in East Lansing ended in a scoreless draw in 2024. The winner of the match is awarded the Big Bear Trophy, purchased by Michigan's first head coach, Steve Burns, and established for the inaugural edition of the rivalry in 2000. Next up, the Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor to take on No. 7-ranked Maryland on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at U-M Soccer Stadium.

Read the full story at mgoblue.com.