The 2025-26 season just came to an end a few weeks ago, but Michigan State fans can’t help but to look ahead to the 2026-27 campaign with a deep roster returning and new non-conference opponents being announced every other week, it seems.
Michigan State has already locked in games with Gonzaga, Duke, UConn (in exhibition play), and Arkansas, but Rick Barnes leaked another matchup for the Spartans.
Tennessee’s head coach was speaking at an event in Nashville when he announced that the Volunteers would be hosting Michigan State next season. That now marks the fifth projected top-15 opponents added to the non-conference schedule, if you count exhibition games.
So why not rank ‘em by toughness?
1. Duke
It’s starting to feel like whoever Jon Scheyer wants, Jon Scheyer gets. Unfortunately, that’s what happens when college basketball’s biggest blue blood, in my opinion of course, hires a young, energetic head coach who can recruit and played at the school under the legendary Coach K. Duke is bringing back a ton from the No. 1 team in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament and they also have the No. 2 recruiting class coming in and John Blackwell and Drew Scharnowski joining via the transfer portal. And they’re likely not done yet. Duke is going to be stacked.
2. Arkansas
The John Calipari effect is in full force in Fayetteville and while it looked like this past season’s team was the most talented that Arkansas had seen in decades, that team can move over because the 2026-27 squad is even scarier. Meleek Thomas could decide to return and the Razorbacks have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. They have two of the top 12 recruits in 2026 as well as a five-star big man from Serbia and Georgia star Jeremiah Wilkerson via the transfer portal. I talked myself into putting them at No. 2 just by writing this out.
3. UConn*
I’m putting an asterisk next to UConn at No. 3 because this technically isn’t one the non-conference schedule, it’s in exhibition play. This game won’t count in the win-loss column, but it’s going to teach us a lot about both teams. UConn has two top-40 recruits coming in as well as four talented transfers to complement a roster that stays mostly intact after a Final Four. Solo Ball redshirting could hurt them, however.
4. Tennessee
It might be surprising to see Tennessee ahead of Gonzaga, but I’m operating under the assumption that the Volunteers land Juke Harris from the transfer portal. If that happens, Tennessee might have the No. 1 transfer class in the country. The Volunteers are maybe a Harris away from being a top-10 team in college basketball. Also, playing in Nashville gives the Vols the upper hand.
5. Gonzaga
Gonzaga being No. 5 on the Spartans’ list of non-conference opponents isn’t meant as a sign of disrespect toward Mark Few and the Bulldogs but rather this just goes to show how tough Michigan State’s schedule truly is. The Bulldogs are bringing in two really good transfers, including Massamba Diop at center who was a guy I really wanted the Spartans to pay big money for (funny, I know). Facing the Bulldogs in Palm Springs also makes this a tougher matchup.
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