Anybody, any place, any time. Tom Izzo is living up to his famous statement about scheduling non-conference opponents and he revealed two more on Tuesday during his appearance on Tim Staudt’s show.
The first reveal was one that we already knew, with a twist. Everyone knew that Michigan State had a two-year series with Arkansas and the Spartans won the first in East Lansing. The second was expected to be in Fayetteville to repay the home-and-home favor, but it’s being moved to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. This could very well be a Final Four preview.
That wasn’t the only non-conference reveal by Izzo, though.
Later on in his conversation with Staudt, Izzo also said that Michigan State is playing yet another elite opponent, this time in California. The Spartans will face Gonzaga for the first time since 2022-23 when Mady Sissoko went off and nearly helped pull off the upset, losing 64-63 in San Diego.
The two teams will apparently be facing off back in California next season.
Don’t think I saw anyone mention this yet but Izzo also told Tim Staudt yesterday that MSU is playing Gonzaga in California next season.
— Andrew Cumbow (@ACumbow) April 1, 2026
This will be the fourth-ever meeting between Michigan State and Gonzaga. The Spartans won the first two in 2009 and 2011, but the last one, as previously mentioned, went to the Bulldogs.
Mark Few vs. Tom Izzo will be a fun one.
Michigan State’s 2026-27 schedule is shaping up to be scary
Adding Gonzaga to the schedule is an interesting development considering Arkansas is already on the docket. But those two games aren’t the only elite non-conference battles set up for the 2026-27 season. You have to remember that the Champions Classic exists.
And this year, Michigan State draws Duke.
So before we really even know more about the non-conference schedule, Michigan State is already gearing up to face Duke, Arkansas, and Gonzaga. That could be three top-10 teams.
If the Spartans are going to get to Detroit next April, they’re going to need to prove that they can beat all three of these teams. Fortunately, all of them look to be at neutral sites which is great NCAA Tournament prep. Facing elite teams at neutral venues sounds a lot like March Madness, so I fully expect these Spartans to be more than prepared next spring.
Heck, the Spartans could very well face three teams that can make a Final Four or win it all next season. Izzo truly isn’t afraid of anyone.