Matt Johnson

Bowling Green has been to bowl games in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and the Falcons will play Michigan State in the Spartans' 2017 season opener.

(AP Photo)

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State's future football schedule has gotten a subtle tweak that's just now coming to light.

Spartans athletic director Mark Hollis confirmed Michigan State will play Bowling Green in place of Miami of Ohio in 2017.

The Spartans have a bye the first week of the 2017 season before four consecutive home games against Bowling Green (Sept. 9), Western Michigan (Sept. 16), Notre Dame (Sept. 23) and Iowa (Sept. 30).

Michigan State's fifth game of the 2017 season is at Michigan.

The Falcons won the Mid-American East Division last season, finishing with a 5-3 conference mark and went 8-6 overall.

Miami of Ohio, meanwhile, was 2-6 in the MAC and 2-10 overall, so the scheduling represents an upgrade of sorts.

Michigan State was originally supposed to be hosting Alabama in the return game of a home-and-home series in 2017. The Spartans were scheduled to play in Tuscaloosa in 2016.

The Crimson Tide, however, asked the East Lansing game be moved to a neutral site.

Hollis has said he prefers games be played on college campuses when possible, so the Alabama series was cancelled after the Tide made its request not to play at Michigan State.

"College football should be played on campus unless there is a uniquely beneficial situation for the participating student-athletes and fans,'' Hollis said Monday.

The Spartans will play host to BYU in 2016 in place of the trip to Alabama, and MSU also plays non-conference games at Notre Dame and at home with FCS school Furman.

Hollis said Furman will be the last FCS school Michigan State football schedules.

"(It's) great value for what those programs represent for college sports, but we are in a position to continue to strengthen our scheduling with the three available non-conference games,'' he said. "Having Oregon and Air Force academy on this year's schedule makes for a good non-conference schedule.''

Alabama, meanwhile, filled the previous Michigan State slots on its schedule with neutral site games against Southern Cal (2016, Arlington, Texas) and Florida State (2017, Atlanta).

The Tide's neutral site games have excited the Alabama fans, leading to a headline on AL.com that reads: "Alabama shows how to schedule like a champion.''

Here's a look at Michigan State's future non-conference opponents:

2015

Sept. 4 at Western Michigan

Sept. 12 Oregon

Sept. 19 Air Force

Sept. 26 Central Michigan

2016

Sept. 3 Furman

Sept. 17 at Notre Dame

Oct. 8 BYU

2017

Sept. 9 Bowling Green

Sept. 16 Western Michigan

Sept. 23 Notre Dame

2018

Sept. 8 at Arizona State

Sept. 29 Central Michigan

2019

Sept. 7 Western Michigan

Sept. 14 Arizona State

2020

Sept. 12 at BYU

Sept. 26 Miami (Fla.)

2021

Sept. 18 at Miami (Fla.)

2022

Sept. 17 at Boise State

2023

Sept. 16 Boise State

*Michigan State has a home-and-home with Notre Dame in 2026 and 2027

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