Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU linebacker Mike Wells (3) reacts with the rest of the defense after recovering a fumble in Saturday’s win over Robert Morris at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State’s approach to scheduling buy games is simple.

“If we’re going to play one, we gotta find the one that has the biggest payouts,” head coach Doug Phillips said.

That’s why the Penguins have future games scheduled against FBS opponents like Kentucky (2026), Maryland (2027), West Virginia (2028), Ohio State (2029) and of course, Saturday’s road trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. (BTN/570 WKBN) at Spartan Stadium.

According to game contracts acquired by the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator, YSU is set to receive $725,000 from Michigan State.

Future game contracts indicate that YSU will receive $800,000 from Ohio State, $600,000 from Maryland, $550,000 from West Virginia and $575,000 from Kentucky.

“You can play other FBS, but you’re probably not getting the same money,” Phillips said. “Our people upstairs, I trust them. That’s why you see the Michigan States, the Ohio States and Kentuckys, and you don’t see maybe other lower FBS on there, because they probably don’t pay as much. If you’re going to play it, you want to see some benefits for your football team and your athletic program.

“I’m thankful for (those) schools who continue to schedule us, because we need it. It is about money. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to compare ourselves to Michigan State or Ohio State when it comes to finances. We gotta look at the top programs in FCS. We want to be a top-five program, and unfortunately in today’s world, it starts with money.”

That being said, Phillips would still like to try to schedule games against other in-state FBS teams, like MAC foes Kent State, Bowling Green, Toledo, Akron and Ohio, just like it has in the past. But the Penguins haven’t played a MAC-level FBS opponent since 2003.

“I wish we could get some regional games with that other conference that’s in our state,” Phillips said. “Sometimes I wish we would get that respect from those other schools in that other league. … Not for me personally, but for our fans, because we play teams that are so far away. To be able to drive in the state of Ohio and see the Penguins play, I think would be great. We’re always open to that.”

While money plays a significant role in YSU scheduling games like this week’s FBS contest against the Spartans, it is also an opportunity for the Penguins.

It’s a chance for YSU to test its mettle against an upper echelon Big Ten foe, while it also allows the Penguins to continue to prepare for what they will see in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, especially on the road.

“We’re going to play in a lot of indoor arenas this year, like against the defending national champ North Dakota State, so for us, that experience of getting on the road the next two weeks is huge for us,” Phillips said. “It’s going to be loud in those domes. That can equal almost any stadium in the country when you’re indoors.

“Having the opportunity to go play a Big Ten team — they’re big, they’re physical, they’re strong. Coach (Jonathan) Smith has shown — he got there last year, and just like he did at Oregon State, he built a program. You can see how much better they are this year. So for us, it’s a great challenge to see where we are as we get ready for league play.”

YSU showed considerable improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 in its win over Robert Morris last week. But the coaching staff wants to continue to see growth on a week-to-week basis.

“You prepare like any other game,” Phillips said. “You want to see growth from Week 2 to Week 3. We gotta continue to get better. It’s about our execution, it’s about our preparation. The preparation, regardless of who we’re playing, Tuesday practice and Wednesday practice gotta be the same. It’s gotta be physical. You gotta have great pad level and we’ve gotta play great fundamentals. Now we just get to do it against a Big Ten school.”

The Spartans obviously present a considerably stiffer test than what the Penguins faced in the first two weeks of the season.

Aidan Chiles returned at quarterback for Michigan State after starting all 12 games last season as a true sophomore. He’s coming off a career day in the Spartans’ 42-40 double-overtime win over Boston College last week, where he threw for four touchdowns.

Makhi Frazier will get the bulk of the carries at running back, while Omari Kelly and Nick Marsh have been Chiles’ favorite targets at wide receiver.

“I think this is a great way to kind of measure ourselves before we get into conference play and everything like that,” linebacker Carston Marshall said. “So I think this will be a really good challenge. They got some good guys on offense, good guys on defense, so it should be a good game.”

But the Spartans’ hidden gem is punter Ryan Eckley, a Ray Guy Award candidate and a preseason All-American, who led the Big Ten in punting in 2024.

“Their punter is unbelievable,” Phillips said. “They’ve had 9-of-14 (punts) inside the 2-yard line. So when you’re watching film of them, you talk about offenses having to work upfield, uphill, because they’re on the inch-yard line at the start of the drive. He places the ball — it’s like a golf shot. It’s unbelievable.”