Tom Izzo has been known to craft some of the toughest non-conference schedules in college basketball but what’s he’s set himself up with for 2026-27 may just be his toughest ever.
We’ve seen Michigan State play teams like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Arkansas in the same season (just last year) but there’s 2026-27 slate makes that look like a cupcake schedule.
We already know that Izzo has locked in some big-time opponents for next season, but it didn’t really hit me until I looked at FanDuel’s way-too-early national title odds that Michigan State’s upcoming schedule is going to be the toughest potentially in program history.
The Spartans will face seven (!!) of the top 12 teams in terms of national title odds in the upcoming season and only two of those are Big Ten opponents: Michigan (No. 2 national title odds) and Illinois (No. 4). Just look at this non-conference slate, though:
- Duke (No. 1)
- UConn (No. 3)* — exhibition
- Tennessee (No. 7)
- Gonzaga (No. 11)
- Arkansas (Tied for No. 11)
Holy gauntlet. Not only do the Spartans have to face two of the best teams in college basketball in Big Ten play but they’re going to see five legitimate national title contenders in non-conference action. Izzo is a psychopath for adding all of these teams to the schedule in the same season.
I can’t remember the last time the Spartans had a schedule this tough. It may be Izzo’s toughest ever.
No recent Michigan State schedule has been quite like this
I thought it would be fun to look back at some of Izzo’s toughest non-conference schedules over the years to see how they compare to the 2026-27 gauntlet.
Here are some of his toughest non-conference slates over the past decade:
- 2023-24: Duke, Arizona, Baylor
- 2022-23: Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova, Alabama
- 2021-22: Kansas, UConn, Baylor, Louisville
- 2018-19: Kansas, UCLA, Texas, Louisville, Florida
- 2017-18: Duke, UConn, North Carolina
- 2016-17: Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor, Duke
There were some incredible matchups over the past decade, but I just don’t see a slate that compares to the one we’re about to see this season.
Duke, Michigan, UConn, and Illinois are four of the top five preseason national title favorites and the Spartans will see each one. I guess counting the UConn matchup here is cheap since it’s just exhibition play, but that’s still an opponent that Michigan State has to face.
Tennessee, Gonzaga, and Arkansas will also be in the Final Four mix in 2027. Each of those teams presents a different test but each one is going to be tough.
I’d be willing to bet that Michigan State has several top 10 most viewed non-conference games.
Have I mentioned that Izzo is a madman?
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