BYU football schedules Michigan State for games in 2016, 2020

BYU and Michigan State have agreed to a two-game football series, the school announced Wednesday. BYU will travel to play the Spartans on Oct. 8, 2016 and will play host to Michigan State on Sept. 12, 2020.

BYU was originally slated to host UMass on the 2016 date, but that game should be easily moved with the Minutemen's coming independent status.

Despite BYU's history playing Big Ten teams in bowl games and recent schedule agreements, 2016 will mark the first time the two schools will play each other. The Spartans have won 11+ games in four of the last five seasons, posting a 53-14 record in that span under coach Mark Dantonio.

The series helps shape up future schedules, with special interest on what is being built for the 2020 home slate.

2016

HOME: UCLA, UMass, Southern Miss, Utah State
ROAD: Utah, Michigan State, Boise State, Cincinnati
NEUTRAL: Arizona, West Virginia

2020

HOME: Michigan State, Missouri, Arizona, Virginia
ROAD: Arizona State, Stanford, Boise State, Northern Illinois

BYU's 2020 home game with Arizona was originally slated for Sept 12, so hopefully the Cougars and the Wildcats can work it out to keep that game -- perhaps moving it to opening week, which would have BYU kicking off the season by hosting Arizona and Michigan State, and then feature a November home game against Missouri.