Nothing overly scientific here from an athlete recovery perspective per se, but just to give some numbers to how much western games can add to a team's travel wear and tear, I took a look at the flight miles for MSU football for 2018 through what would have been 2025 (the 2024 and 2025 schedules are now being scrapped, but just for perspective, still using them), though I'm ignoring 2020 for this because the year's data is kind of skewed in the end. I decided to go back as far as 2018, though, because that's the last Lincoln trip for the Spartans under the pre-most recent expansion impacts.
So with that in mind, here's a flight map for each road game that involved a jet (I'm going to ignore bowl games and only use regular season) along with the total miles and average miles per flight:
A road trip to take on Arizona State adds a lot to this season's travel wear and tear, but so does a visit to Lincoln in the second to last weekend of the season. All told, Michigan State traveled a total of 6,775 miles with an average flight length of 677 miles. Even if you take out the 1,618 mile flight each way for the ASU game, that Nebraska game is around 160 miles longer each way than any other trip that season (still 3,538 total travel miles without ASU, but average of just 442).
The 2019 season shows how even the eastward growth last decade impacts the travel map for Michigan State. MSU averaged 297 miles per flight and just 2,376 miles on the season, but the trip to Rutgers alone was almost 50% of that total (46.8 to be exact). Take out the 1,114 mile roundtrip portion and the Spartans total miles drops to just 1,264 miles on the season.
The 2021 season had a double-whammy so to speak of both Miami and Rutgers trips on the schedule. The flight down (I don't recall exactly which airport this one would have used, but let's assume it was MIA and not FLL, all pretty close enough to get the gist regardless) to take on the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium accounted for longer each way then even the entire roundtrip of the Rutgers game several weeks later.
All together, Michigan State totaled 5,237 miles on the season and averaged 436 miles per flight segment. Taking out that Miami trip it drops to just 2,846 total miles and 285 miles on average.
Last season for Michigan State was also a doozy. That western trip out to Seattle was obviously the long one and skewed the season's average for what otherwise was a very light year of jet travel. Only a trip down to Bloomington included the "original" Big Ten in a light road year since the Michigan game is done by charter bus. Otherwise, road trips to Penn State and Maryland also were on the long side in terms of the more "modern" conference alignment. All told, the Spartans fell just shy of 6k miles, clocking in at a total of 5,956 total miles with an average of 745. Taking out that Seattle trip leaves it at just 375 miles for the average flight distance and a total travel of 2,249 miles.
This fall in the final current geography of the Big Ten, MSU has some of the longer distances it could draw in the existing footprint, but still no Lincoln visit. All told, the Spartans travel 3,371 miles this year with an average flight length of just 373 miles. Trips to Rutgers, Iowa, and Minneapolis all draw it out on the longer side for distances in the existing footprint.
Pretending for just a second like the 2024 pairings aren't already tossed into the trash bin, MSU has a light year in terms of road games needing a jet. However, those are all on the long side in terms of distances needing covered. The Spartans non-conference against Boston College combines with Maryland, Penn State, and Nebraska road games leading to a total of 4,379 total miles traveled and an average of 547 miles each flight. Taking out that Boston trip, it would drop to just 499 miles for the average length of a one-way flight and 2,994 total miles.
Just a single trip out to LA shows just how quickly the travel gets skewed into the high end for a season, although trips to Minnesota and Iowa also draw out the distances even within the original Big Ten footprint. The Spartans total 6,519 miles in what would have been the 2025 season, averaging 652 miles per flight segment. Taking out the visit to USC, it would drop to just 2,679 total miles and average only 335 miles per flight.
One way flights from Lansing to the new western members will be a doozy each time one comes up on the schedule for a road game. The distances total:
Eugene: 1,972 miles
LA: 1,920 miles
Seattle: 1,854 miles
Prior to that, Lincoln was the longest trip at just 642 miles, with Rutgers next at 557 miles, and Maryland coming in at 483 miles.
So with that in mind, here's a flight map for each road game that involved a jet (I'm going to ignore bowl games and only use regular season) along with the total miles and average miles per flight:
2018
A road trip to take on Arizona State adds a lot to this season's travel wear and tear, but so does a visit to Lincoln in the second to last weekend of the season. All told, Michigan State traveled a total of 6,775 miles with an average flight length of 677 miles. Even if you take out the 1,618 mile flight each way for the ASU game, that Nebraska game is around 160 miles longer each way than any other trip that season (still 3,538 total travel miles without ASU, but average of just 442).
2019
The 2019 season shows how even the eastward growth last decade impacts the travel map for Michigan State. MSU averaged 297 miles per flight and just 2,376 miles on the season, but the trip to Rutgers alone was almost 50% of that total (46.8 to be exact). Take out the 1,114 mile roundtrip portion and the Spartans total miles drops to just 1,264 miles on the season.
2021
The 2021 season had a double-whammy so to speak of both Miami and Rutgers trips on the schedule. The flight down (I don't recall exactly which airport this one would have used, but let's assume it was MIA and not FLL, all pretty close enough to get the gist regardless) to take on the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium accounted for longer each way then even the entire roundtrip of the Rutgers game several weeks later.
All together, Michigan State totaled 5,237 miles on the season and averaged 436 miles per flight segment. Taking out that Miami trip it drops to just 2,846 total miles and 285 miles on average.
2022
Last season for Michigan State was also a doozy. That western trip out to Seattle was obviously the long one and skewed the season's average for what otherwise was a very light year of jet travel. Only a trip down to Bloomington included the "original" Big Ten in a light road year since the Michigan game is done by charter bus. Otherwise, road trips to Penn State and Maryland also were on the long side in terms of the more "modern" conference alignment. All told, the Spartans fell just shy of 6k miles, clocking in at a total of 5,956 total miles with an average of 745. Taking out that Seattle trip leaves it at just 375 miles for the average flight distance and a total travel of 2,249 miles.
2023
This fall in the final current geography of the Big Ten, MSU has some of the longer distances it could draw in the existing footprint, but still no Lincoln visit. All told, the Spartans travel 3,371 miles this year with an average flight length of just 373 miles. Trips to Rutgers, Iowa, and Minneapolis all draw it out on the longer side for distances in the existing footprint.
2024
Pretending for just a second like the 2024 pairings aren't already tossed into the trash bin, MSU has a light year in terms of road games needing a jet. However, those are all on the long side in terms of distances needing covered. The Spartans non-conference against Boston College combines with Maryland, Penn State, and Nebraska road games leading to a total of 4,379 total miles traveled and an average of 547 miles each flight. Taking out that Boston trip, it would drop to just 499 miles for the average length of a one-way flight and 2,994 total miles.
2025
Just a single trip out to LA shows just how quickly the travel gets skewed into the high end for a season, although trips to Minnesota and Iowa also draw out the distances even within the original Big Ten footprint. The Spartans total 6,519 miles in what would have been the 2025 season, averaging 652 miles per flight segment. Taking out the visit to USC, it would drop to just 2,679 total miles and average only 335 miles per flight.
One way flights from Lansing to the new western members will be a doozy each time one comes up on the schedule for a road game. The distances total:
Eugene: 1,972 miles
LA: 1,920 miles
Seattle: 1,854 miles
Prior to that, Lincoln was the longest trip at just 642 miles, with Rutgers next at 557 miles, and Maryland coming in at 483 miles.
