The 1942 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent in the 1942 college football season. In their tenth season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 4–3–2 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 20 to 0 score. In inter-sectional play, the team played both Temple and Oregon State to 7–7 ties, lost to Washington State (25–13), and defeated West Virginia (7–0).