Michigan–Michigan State men's soccer rivalry
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| Sport | Soccer |
|---|---|
| First meeting | October 13, 1956 Michigan State 3, Michigan Club 1 |
| Latest meeting | October 10, 2023 Michigan State 0, Michigan 0 |
| Trophy | Big Bear Trophy |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 55 |
| All-time series | Michigan State leads, 33–13–9 (Total)[1] Michigan State leads, 15–12–4 (Varsity)[2] |
| Trophy series | Michigan State leads, 13–6–4 [3] |
| Largest victory | Michigan State, 5–0 (2007) |
| Longest win streak | Michigan, 5 (2019–2021) |
| Longest unbeaten streak | Tied: Michigan State, 7 (2004–2009) and Michigan, 7 (2018–2022) |
| Current unbeaten streak | Michigan State, 1 (2022–present) |
The Michigan–Michigan State soccer rivalry is an American college soccer rivalry[4][5][6][7] between the University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State University Spartans.
History[edit]
The winner of each year's game receives the Big Bear Trophy. The first game was played October 13, 1956, which saw the Spartans defeat the Wolverine club team 3-1 in East Lansing. The Spartans played Michigan's club team 24 times between 1956 and 1991, amassing a 18–1–5 record.[1] In 2000, Michigan added soccer as a Varsity sport and on October 15, 2000, the rivalry between the varsity club officially began with the Spartans winning 2–1 in double overtime in East Lansing. The trophy originated in 2000 when Michigan head coach Steve Burns purchased the wooden-bear sculpture to commemorate the revival of the rivalry.[8] Burns said that he and Michigan State head coach Joe Baum collaborated on a trophy game because they "wanted to have some kind of trophy for this rivalry that the teams can pass back and forth. We hope that it takes a life on its own."[9] In the spring of 2021, the restructured Big Ten soccer season saw the two teams matched up twice in the regular season for the first time, however neither game would contest the Big Bear trophy.[10] If the Big bear game ends in a tie the trophy stays with the team that has it last.
Game results[edit]
Michigan State leads the varsity series, 15–12–4. The Big Bear trophy series is solely a result of the regular season meeting, excluding NCAA and Big Ten postseason games. In the trophy series, Michigan State leads, 13–6–4 through the 2023 season.
| Michigan victories | Michigan State victories | Tie games |
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See also[edit]
- Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry
- Michigan–Michigan State men's basketball rivalry
- Michigan–Michigan State men's ice hockey rivalry
- Michigan–Michigan State women's basketball rivalry
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Michigan State Men's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). grfx.cstv.com. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2013.
- ^ "2015 University of Michigan Men's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). grfx.cstv.com. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2016.
- ^ Official Michigan Men's Soccer Records Archived November 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine,
- ^ Athletics, M. S. U. (October 30, 2019). "MSU Loses Battle for the Big Bear Trophy to Michigan Tuesday". wilx.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Reports, Detroit Free Press Staff. "Metro & state: MSU men's soccer tops Michigan for Big Bear Trophy". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ "Men's soccer looks to retain Big Bear Trophy in annual 'Mitten Derby'". The Michigan Daily. November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Bakr, Adam. "Spartans can't overcome slow start, fall to rival Michigan". Impact 89FM. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ "University of Michigan Official Athletic Site". Mgoblue.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan Drops Physical Game to Spartans in Double OT – University of Michigan Official Athletic Site". Mgoblue.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ @umichsoccer (February 23, 2021). "Due to the unique circumstances surrounding this spring season, the coaching staffs from Michigan and Michigan Stat…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "University of Michigan Official Athletic Site – Men's Soccer". Mgoblue.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan State Official Athletic Site – Men's Soccer". Msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.