Moneyball is over, and now Michigan State’s 2026-27 season is starting to come into focus. The Spartans already have one of the most demanding non-conference slates in the country, and Cam Ward just dropped a hint that it might not be finished yet.
Ward told the media last night at Moneyball that Michigan State has another big game on the schedule that still hasn’t been announced. The reaction came as the Spartans are already lined up to face UConn and Marquette in exhibition play, then Tennessee, Duke, Gonzaga, and Arkansas during the first two months of the season.
During a post-Moneyball championship game interview with SpartanMag, Ward talked about his performance in the title game to help his team get past Jeremy Fears Jr. and Ethan Taylor. He also gave a little preview of what’s ahead for Michigan State, saying the schedule includes some major exhibition matchups and several big regular-season games, including one that remains under wraps.
That mystery opponent has become the obvious question. Based on Ward’s excitement, it seems fair to assume Michigan State is adding another Top 25-level test.
Early guesses would point to Arizona, Alabama, St. John’s, Houston, Kansas, Vanderbilt, or Villanova.
There are reasons for each name to fit. Michigan State played Arizona as recently as 2023 on Thanksgiving, so there’s already some familiarity there for a standalone non-conference showdown. Alabama would also make sense, especially with Nate Oats having coached high school basketball in Michigan and already having faced Tom Izzo in the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational, where Alabama beat Michigan State 81-70.
St. John’s, Houston, Kansas, and Vanderbilt all connect back to Izzo in different ways.
Rick Pitino, Kelvin Sampson, and Bill Self each have personal ties to Izzo, while Mark Byington is now at Vanderbilt after his James Madison team upset the Spartans in 2023-24. That would give the Commodores a little extra juice as a possible revenge spot for Izzo.
However it shakes out, the message is clear: Izzo is loading up the schedule again, and Michigan State won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season.
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For a program trying to sort out its best pieces before the season gets rolling, Glenns presence matters because he was expected to be part of the conversation even before he stepped on campus. His ability to fit in a variety of roles could give Michigan State more flexibility, especially if he settles in quickly and gives the Spartans another reliable option on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]