Spartans forge a brutal non-conference path, adding Tennessee to a gauntlet featuring UConn, Duke, and Arkansas, proving their championship mettle early.
It’s nothing new to Spartan fans—and Tom Izzo fans alike—that Izzo loves to put his teams through the ringer early and often.
Michigan State’s non-conference schedule has become notorious for being loaded with some of the top teams the nation has to offer. Year after year, Izzo thrives on throwing his squad into battle-tested matchups as soon as the season tips off, and he does it for a reason.
It reveals what this team really is.
Just because you wear “State” across your chest and don the green and white doesn’t mean opponents will roll over. If anything, it’s the opposite. For many programs, a matchup against Michigan State sits at the top of the “bring everything you’ve got” list. Teams want to take down the top dogs—and Izzo has made sure the Spartans have been one of those programs for the better part of three decades.
So, it came as no surprise when it was announced Wednesday that the Spartans will face the Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball on the road during the 2026–27 season.
Tennessee finished last season ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and entered the NCAA Tournament as a six-seed. Once March hit, though, they found another gear. The Volunteers made a deep run, knocking off 11-seed Miami (OH), then taking down three-seed Virginia. They kept rolling, defeating two-seed Iowa State to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.
Their run finally ended at the hands of the eventual national champions, the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball, who shut down Tennessee’s Cinderella story. Still, the Volunteers remain a formidable opponent. Despite losing J.P. Estrella to Michigan via the transfer portal, Tennessee reloaded with four key additions and appears poised to field an even stronger roster.
With that addition, Michigan State’s list of marquee non-conference opponents continues to grow—and it’s nothing short of loaded.
Alongside Tennessee, the Spartans are set to face UConn Huskies men's basketball, the very team that knocked them out in the Sweet 16 last season. UConn followed that win with a stunning upset over Duke—on one of the most unforgettable shots of the tournament—before eventually falling to Michigan in the national championship game.
Speaking of Duke, what Michigan State season would feel complete without a matchup against Duke Blue Devils men's basketball? The Blue Devils are once again expected to be a top-five team, especially after landing standout guard John Blackwell from Wisconsin via the transfer portal. Michigan State fell to Duke by six points at home last season and missed out on a potential rematch in the Elite Eight after being eliminated by UConn.
The Spartans will also renew their matchup with Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball. The Razorbacks opened last season against Michigan State and have been a thorn in the Spartans’ side in recent years, including eliminating them in the Elite Eight two seasons ago. Led by John Calipari, Arkansas returns to the schedule after finishing last season ranked No. 14. They entered the tournament as a four-seed, advanced to the Sweet 16, and were eventually knocked out by one-seed Arizona.
Rounding out this gauntlet is Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball. Gonzaga finished No. 12 in the AP Poll and entered March as a three-seed. After a dominant opening-round win over Kennesaw State, the Bulldogs were upset by 11-seed Texas. While Gonzaga didn’t make major waves in the transfer portal, they’ll be looking to bounce back—and they’ll have to go through Michigan State at least once to do it.
This is what Michigan State basketball is all about.
The Spartans have never been overly concerned with padding their record. Instead, they embrace the “iron sharpens iron” mentality. It’s a philosophy Izzo has relied on to build consistently competitive teams, and there’s no reason to expect that to change now.
If you want to be the best, you have to see what the best looks like.
This brutal non-conference slate will test Michigan State early, sharpen its identity, and prepare it for what’s waiting in conference play. And if history tells us anything, the Big Ten Conference won’t make things any easier. The league is coming off a dominant season, sending six teams to the Sweet 16, four to the Elite Eight, two to the Final Four, and ultimately producing the national champion.
In other words, there’s no easing into this season.
It’s going to be a gauntlet for the Spartans—but for a program and fanbase that has embraced the grind for the past 30 years, that’s exactly how they like it.