Spartans and Wolverines Meet for Paul Bunyan Trophy
Listen to the story
Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will play football on Saturday night.
The two teams are known as the Spartans and the Wolverines.
They are competing for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a prize given to the winner each year.
The game will take place in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan.
Before the game, Michigan State announced that 14 players will be ruled out.
This means those players will not be able to take part in the match.
Michigan State is often called MSU, while the University of Michigan is known as U-M.
Both schools compete in the Big Ten Conference, also written as B10.
The Big Ten is a major group of college sports teams in the United States.
Fans are looking for information on how to watch the game on television or online.
Rivalry games like this one often attract a lot of attention from fans and media.
The Paul Bunyan Trophy has a long history between the two schools.
Games for this trophy are usually seen as important events of the season.
With several players missing for Michigan State, the matchup could be more difficult for the Spartans.
Supporters from both sides are expected to watch closely as kickoff approaches.
Vocabulary10 words
- Spartans
- the sports team name for Michigan State University
- Wolverines
- the sports team name for the University of Michigan
- Paul Bunyan Trophy
- a prize given to the winner of this yearly game
- ruled out
- officially said that a player cannot play
- Big Ten
- a large group of college sports teams in the U.S.
- Conference
- a group of teams that play against each other
- rivalry
- a strong competition between two teams
- matchup
- a game between two teams
- kickoff
- the start of a football game
- season
- the period of time when a sport is played
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. Paul Bunyan Trophy 2. They have 14 players ruled out 3. False
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will play _____ on Saturday night.
The two teams are known as the _____ and the Wolverines.
They are competing for the Paul Bunyan _____, a prize given to the winner each year.
The game will take place in _____, home of the University of Michigan.
Before the game, Michigan State announced that 14 players will be _____ out.
This means those players will not be able to take part in the _____.
Both schools compete in the _____ Conference, also written as B10.
Fans are looking for information on how to _____ the game.
Games for this trophy are usually seen as important events of the _____.
With several players missing for Michigan State, the _____ could be more difficult for the Spartans.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
More Sports stories
Next story · Medium
Alcaraz to Face Shelton Again in Paris Masters Final