Another elite opponent has been added to Michigan State basketball's non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season.
Michigan State has already been tasked with facing Duke at home and Kentucky in the Champions Classic in non-conference play, but another likely top-15 opponent is on the way. The Spartans will reportedly be welcoming John Calipari and Arkansas to the Breslin Center.
The news first broke thanks to Josh Bertaccini who casually dropped the info on X on Saturday when speaking about Arkansas' non-conference slate.
Calipari talks games in Chicago and NYC, then says Arkansas “will play at Michigan State this year. They’ll play us here next—part of the SEC-Big 10 deal. We’re also trying to finalize a game in Dallas this season.” pic.twitter.com/auekQQLJay
— Josh Bertaccini (@TheRealNWAJB) June 14, 2025
Calipari dropped the bomb before it's been officially announced by either school.
Arkansas has one of the better rosters heading into the 2025-26 season and they might just be a top-10 team when Michigan State hosts the Razorbacks. This should be one of the best non-conference games of the year and it just adds to an impressive slate for the Spartans.
Not only does Michigan State play Duke and Arkansas at home as well as Kentucky in the Champions Classic, but it also faces North Carolina down in Fort Meyers, Fla., on Thanksgiving. Those four non-conference opponents make up arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the country.
Four legit national title contenders on the non-conference slate? We're about to find out a lot about this Michigan State basketball team early in the season. Go 3-1 during this four-game stretch and I think it'll be safe to say that the Spartans will be legitimate Big Ten title and national title contenders.
Anyone. Any time. Any place. Tom Izzo continues to lean into that mantra and we'll be talking about that once again next summer as he pieces together another murderers' row of games.