Tom Izzo and Michigan State have announced a new non-conference series with a team that will undoubtedly be ranked over the next two seasons.
Weeks after Rick Barnes leaked the info, Michigan State made it official that it would be facing Tennessee in non-conference play this season and the reports indicate that this is the first leg of a home-and-home series that will finish off in East Lansing in 2027-28.
On Friday, Michigan State shared the date and location of this year’s showdown with Tennessee.
Taking on Tennessee 🏀 pic.twitter.com/29NKmyQQDx
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) July 17, 2026
Michigan State will be in Knoxville on Nov. 17 to face a Tennessee team that’s expected to contend for the SEC title with an entirely new starting five. Barnes built his team through the transfer portal which is something that can’t be said for Tom Izzo, but it’ll be interesting to see which style of roster wins.
Barnes’ entire starting five is projected to be from the transfer portal while Izzo has one, maybe two, guys from the portal who could start this season.
That Nov. 17 matchup in Knoxville is going to be a good one.
Michigan State vs. Tennessee all-time record
While Michigan State and Tennessee faced each other just a few years ago in preseason play for a fundraiser exhibition in East Lansing, that game doesn’t count toward the all-time series. Tennessee came out on top in that one and it was the first sign that the 2023-24 Spartans were just a tad overrated.
The last real meeting between these two teams was in the 2010 NCAA Tournament when Michigan State took down the Volunteers, 70-69, to advance to a second straight Final Four. Bruce Pearl was still the head coach of Tennessee at that point.
The last meeting was a win for the Spartans and they hold a 5-2 all-time record against the Volunteers. The last time they played before that 2010 NCAA Tournament showdown was in 1994-95 before Izzo was even head coach yet and the Spartans won 79-68 in East Lansing. A year prior, in Knoxville, Michigan State beat Tennessee 69-60, marking the first of three straight wins for the Spartans against the Volunteers.
Tennessee’s last win over Michigan State not in exhibition play was all the way back in 1971-72 in Knoxville, 85-61. The Volunteers won in 1970-71 as well in a neutral site game, but the Spartans still own the all-time series thanks to three straight wins since 1972.
Izzo will look to make it four in a row in November and the first win in Knoxville since 1993-94.
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