Michigan State’s 2026-27 path is officially set, and it comes with all the trappings of a team expected to matter deep into March.
The Spartans open Tom Izzo’s 32nd season on Nov. 2 at home against Quinnipiac, kicking off a schedule that was unveiled Tuesday - the same day preseason practice began for a program coming off consecutive second-weekend NCAA Tournament runs. Before that opener, Michigan State will get three exhibition tune-ups: Incarnate Word on Oct. 2 at home during the Izzone campout, Connecticut on Oct. 20 at home and Marquette on Oct. 26 in Milwaukee.
The non-conference lineup has plenty of heavyweight tests. Michigan State will face Duke on Nov. 10 in Chicago, Tennessee on Nov. 17 on the road, Arkansas on Nov. 26 in Detroit and Gonzaga on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs, California.
The rest of the out-of-conference slate includes Toledo on Nov. 5, Northern Iowa on Nov.
13, Detroit Mercy on Nov. 21, Drake on Dec.
5, Merrimack on Dec. 12, Oakland on Dec. 22 and Penn on Dec.
The Big Ten portion already had been announced, but the Spartans now know exactly how the early conference stretch will look. Michigan State opens league play by hosting Minnesota on Dec. 2, then heads to Maryland on Dec. 9 before resuming conference action Jan. 2 at Nebraska.
There are some clear personnel changes from the team that won the Big Ten championship and reached the Elite Eight two seasons ago, then finished 27-8 and made the Sweet 16 last season. Starting big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper are gone, and Michigan State addressed that frontcourt turnover by bringing in transfer center Anton Bonke from Charlotte. The incoming freshman group is also on campus, with point guard Carlos Medlock Jr., shooting guard Jasiah Jervis, forward Julius Avent and center Ethan Taylor.
With the Final Four back in Detroit this season, the Spartans believe they should be in the mix. Jeremy Fears Jr. is back after flirting with the NBA Draft pool, and the returning All-American point guard has Michigan State projected as a top-10 team heading into the year. ESPN recently slotted the Spartans as a 2-seed in a mock NCAA Tournament bracket.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces A Bigger Nebraska Test Than Fans Expected
Michigan State heads into Saturday afternoon trying to steady itself after taking its first loss and now faces a Nebraska team that has opened 3-0, albeit against lower-tier competition. The matchup is set for a 5 p.m. ET kickoff on the Big Ten Network, and it comes with more attention than the early-season nonconference feel might have suggested.
The SP+ prediction model sees a tougher road for the Spartans than the betting market does, pointing to a Nebraska edge that is wider than the current line. That gap is the interesting part for Michigan State, because it suggests the Huskers may be viewed as more complete than the public number indicates, even before the Spartans have a chance to prove they belong in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Has A Few Rising Players Who Could Change Big Ten Play
Michigan State has finished its non-conference football schedule with a mixed bag, picking up wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan before running into Notre Dame. Even so, the early stretch has started to reveal a few younger pieces who may matter more once Big Ten play begins, especially as the Spartans keep searching for the right combinations on both sides of the ball.
The most interesting developments have come in the usage patterns. Second-string quarterback Cam Fancher has already been worked into specific offensive situations, while tight end Jayden Savoury and wide receiver Charles Taplin have been earning more time as the weeks go by. On defense, transfer lineman Trey Lisle saw his role expand against Notre Dame, a sign Michigan State is willing to keep exploring different looks if those rising players keep giving the staff reasons to trust them. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Just Got A Real Pat Fitzgerald Rebuild Test
Michigan States 27-10 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame was the kind of defeat that still leaves room for a little perspective. The margin was closer than the one the Spartans have endured in recent years against elite opponents, and that alone offered a small sign that Pat Fitzgeralds first steps in rebuilding the program are at least moving in the right direction. Fitzgerald made it clear afterward that he was not satisfied, though, and the scoreboard only reinforced how much work remains before Michigan State can truly measure itself against the top of the sport.
Fitzgerald also pointed to the broader challenge beyond one Saturday afternoon, stressing the need for the Spartans to keep improving while he works within a limited window to shape the roster and establish his approach. He talked about the progress already being made and the recruiting strategy tied to that bigger build, which is where the story really starts to matter for Michigan State fans. The loss did not answer the biggest question facing the program, but it did offer a sharper look at what this reset may realistically become. [Read more 🡒]