Spartans draw largest opening crowd since 1990

Whether it was the result of the new scoreboards, the high expectations, the night game or the quality opponent, Spartan Stadium welcomed 78,709 fans Friday night, its highest attendance for a home opener since 1990 (80,401 vs Notre Dame).

Last year, also under the lights, Michigan State drew 75,910 fans for its season opener against Youngstown State. Friday's opponent, Boise State, is a much bigger draw, no doubt about it. And the two teams haven't disappointed the sellout crowd in an exciting, albeit sloppy, game.

Tonight's attendance: 78,709. It marks MSU's largest crowd for a home opener since 1990 (80,401 vs. Notre Dame). #MSUBSU

— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 1, 2012

Track the Boise State-Michigan State game on our BTN.com scoreboard. Also, throughout Friday's game, we're providing quarterly updates on our Michigan State vs. Boise State page.