This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Provo • BYU and Michigan State announced Wednesday that they have agreed to a home-and-home football series in 2016 and 2020.

The 2016 game, to be played on Oct. 8 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., will mark the first-ever meeting on the football field between the Spartans of the Big Ten Conference and independent BYU. The 2020 game will be played on Sept. 12 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo.

BYU was originally scheduled to host UMass on Oct. 8, 2016, so that game will obviously have to be moved.

Cougars will travel to Michigan in 2016 with a new quarterback, presumably, because three-year starter Taysom Hill will conclude his career in 2015. The Cougars are also scheduled to play Arizona, Utah, UCLA and West Virginia in 2016 prior to the trip to Michigan State.

"I am excited about this series with one of the top programs in the Big Ten," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a school news release. "We haven't played many games in the Great Lakes region, and I like scheduling opponents like Michigan State that we've never played in football. It is exciting for Cougar Nation and it is a great experience for our coaches and players."

Michigan State went 11-2 this past season, capping the year off with a comeback win over No. 5 Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. The Spartans have posted a 24-3 record since 2013.

"We continue to be aggressive and innovative in our approach to non-conference scheduling as we work to bring the top programs in college football to our state as well as provide our student-athletes with an opportunity to compete nationally at the highest level," said MSU athletic director Mark Hollis. "The BYU series also provides MSU alums in the Rockies and the West with an opportunity to see the Spartans play against a national program."

Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU's known 2016 football schedule

Sept. 3 • vs. Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Sept. 10 • at Utah

Sept. 17 • UCLA

Sept. 24 • vs. West Virginia at FedEx Field, Landover, Md.

Oct. 8 • at Michigan State

Oct. 22 • at Boise State

Nov. 12 • at Cincinnati

Nov. 19 • Southern Mississippi

Nov. 26 • Utah State