Michigan State basketball adds another non-conference opponent to 2024-25 schedule

Earlier this week, Michigan State basketball finalized a non-conference matchup with 2023 Final Four participant FAU, former home of Michigan head coach Dusty May, and now the Spartans have locked in another matchup outside of Big Ten play.

According to reports, the Spartans will play host to SoCon champion Samford on Nov. 19.

While this seems like a harmless non-conference matchup for Michigan State, Samford is anything but a cakewalk opponent. In fact, the Bulldogs finished last season as the Southern Conference champions, making the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 record before losing narrowly to Kansas in the first round, 98-89. It was one of the most exciting No. 4 vs. No. 13 matchups in recent memory.

That same Bulldog team (obviously minus a few key pieces) will be heading to the Breslin Center this fall to face the Spartans and give them a heck of a challenge.

This matchup reminds me a little bit of the James Madison opener last year in which the Spartans lost. You don't expect Michigan State to lose, but if the Spartans take Samford lightly, the Bulldogs will bite. This could be one of the most underrated non-conference matchups in recent memory for Michigan State.

And Samford isn't afraid of competition as they scheduled Purdue to open last season and they will also face Arizona on the road in 2024-25.

With Samford joining the schedule, the Spartans now know that they'll be facing the Bulldogs, FAU, Colorado (Maui Invitational), Kansas (Champions Classic), and Oakland in non-conference play. And in Maui, they'll likely be facing at least one of North Carolina, UConn, or Auburn, too.

Another year, another tough schedule for Izzo and Co.