Michigan State women’s basketball now has its 2026-27 map laid out, and the schedule gives the Spartans a little bit of everything: a heavy home slate, a demanding Big Ten grind, and a stretch of nonconference games that won’t leave much room to settle in.
The Spartans will play 17 games at Breslin Center, starting with an exhibition against Michigan Tech on Oct. 28.
Last season, Michigan State went 11-4 at home. The regular season opens Nov. 3 against Valparaiso, and three of the first five games will be in East Lansing.
That early stretch still includes plenty of movement. Michigan State heads to Toledo on Nov. 7, then comes back home for Oakland on Nov.
- The Spartans travel to Harvard on Nov. 15, a rematch of the first round of the NCAA Tournament during the 2024-25 season, before returning home for Sacred Heart on Nov. 19 and Eastern Michigan on Nov.
The Thanksgiving window sends Michigan State to Niceville, Florida, for the Emerald Coast Classic. The Spartans open the event against Alcorn State on Nov. 23 and then close it out on Nov. 24 against either UT Martin or Virginia Tech. MSU could also face Virginia Tech there, and the schedule lists a maximum of 13 opponents from last season’s NCAA Tournament field.
That number includes a long list from Big Ten play alone. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington all reached the NCAA Tournament last season, with UCLA entering as the defending NCAA champion. Michigan State also has Gonzaga on the schedule at the Acrisure Classic Series in Palm Springs, California.
December starts with four straight home games. Maine visits on Dec. 3, then Penn State comes to town on Dec. 6 for the Big Ten opener.
Milwaukee follows on Dec. 9, and DePaul comes in for the third straight season. Later in the month, both the MSU men’s and women’s teams will play Gonzaga in the Acrisure Classic Series on Dec. 19 in Palm Springs.
Michigan State wraps December with a trip to Michigan on Dec. 29 after the holiday break.
The new year opens with Iowa in East Lansing on New Year’s Day. From there, the Spartans go on the road for Northwestern on Jan. 7 and Nebraska on Jan. 10, then return home for Oregon on Jan. 13 before visiting Illinois on Jan.
- Washington arrives in East Lansing on Jan. 20, followed by Indiana on Jan. 24, and then Michigan State starts a three-game road swing at Rutgers on Jan.
February brings road games at Maryland on Feb. 1 and Ohio State on Feb. 7, both listed among the Big Ten teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season. The Spartans then come home for Purdue on Feb. 11 and Minnesota on Valentine’s Day before heading west to USC on Feb. 18 and UCLA on Feb. 21.
Michigan State closes the regular season with Wisconsin on Feb. 25 and Michigan on Feb. 28 at Breslin Center, then finishes against Ohio State on March 1. The 34th Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 3-7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Big Ten will announce game times later, after TV selections are finalized.
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Michigan States Big Ten Draw Just Fueled Another Title Debate
The Big Ten has already handed Michigan State a first look at the 2026-27 conference slate, and there is reason for Spartans fans to take notice. On paper, the draw avoids road trips to Purdue and Wisconsin, two places that have long demanded a full-throttle effort, while still leaving Tom Izzos program with the kind of schedule that can keep a contender in the race deep into winter. It is the sort of release that immediately sends people to the calendar, looking for the stretches where a title push can build momentum.
Of course, the schedule only opens the door, and Michigan State still has to walk through it. Even a favorable layout can turn tricky once the grind of league play starts, and the Spartans will have to handle the weeks where the margin for error disappears. Still, when a conference draw leaves out two of the toughest road stops and offers enough room for optimism, it naturally invites the same question that follows Michigan State every year: is this the setup for another serious run at the Big Ten crown? [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Have An Unexpected Weapon Emerging At Tight End
When Michigan State goes looking for tight ends with upside, the recruiting pitch is not just about height, hands or straight-line speed. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan has pointed to the kind of toughness and competitive edge that can show up in high school basketball players who make the switch to football, and that description fits Jayden Savoury well. The former basketball state champion has found a clearer footing in his second college football season, giving the Spartans a reason to keep paying attention to a development path that is still very much taking shape.
Savourys progress has come with the kind of behind-the-scenes work Michigan State hoped for when it brought him in, and he has credited tight ends coach Brian Wozniak for both the recruitment process and the development that followed. For a position group that often takes time to mature, Savourys rise adds an intriguing layer to the offense, especially because his background suggests there may still be more growth ahead. The Spartans do not need to know the full ceiling yet to appreciate that they may have found a player whose best football is still in front of him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces The Kind Of Test That Could Expose Everything
Michigan State is heading into one of those early-season measuring sticks that tells you far more about a team than the final score sometimes does. A trip to South Bend to face No. 3 Notre Dame brings the spotlight, the setting and the kind of opponent that can quickly reveal where the Spartans are sturdy and where the questions still linger, which is exactly why the matchup drew a Q&A with Michael Chen of Fighting Irish Wire.
From the Notre Dame side, the conversation centered on what the Irish do well, how their fan base is viewing the game and what a path to a shock result might look like for Michigan State. It also nodded to Pat Fitzgerald's history in South Bend, adding a little extra texture to a game that already carries plenty of weight, even if the most important answers will not come until the teams actually take the field. [Read more 🡒]