Tom Izzo dropped a ton of good nuggets in his conversation with Tim Staudt on Tuesday, giving Michigan State basketball fans crumbs of news that they’ve been craving since the season ended.
Although everyone is disappointed that Michigan State won’t be playing in Indianapolis this weekend after getting eliminated by UConn in the Sweet 16, Izzo is already working toward next season, and the excitement surrounding the 2026-27 Spartans is palpable.
Izzo said that he’d be surprised if any of his guys left the program after meeting with them on Monday and he also said that a former Spartan reached out and expressed regret for transferring.
He also revealed a surprising Thanksgiving Day matchup at Little Caesars Arena.
I guess Izzo announced today on Tim Staudt’s show that MSU will be playing Arkansas at LCA on Thanksgiving this year. That surprises me because I thought we were going to play them down in Fayetteville but I guess not.
— Andrew Cumbow (@ACumbow) March 31, 2026
Should be a fun matchup.
Arkansas and Michigan State agreed on a two-year deal prior to this past season with the first matchup in East Lansing (a Spartan win) and the second presumably down in Fayetteville.
Apparently it wasn’t a home-and-home because the two will play at a “neutral” site in November. For the first time in years, Michigan State won’t be traveling over Thanksgiving weekend, but instead the Spartans will be “home” in Detroit facing one of the best teams in college basketball.
What a Thanksgiving Day treat for Spartan fans.
Detroit will be absolutely buzzing with Michigan State facing Arkansas in a ranked battle at LCA and the Lions hosting their annual Thanksgiving Day game across the street at Ford Field. There’s going to be a lot of empty spots at Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Michigan State vs Arkansas could be a Final Four preview
Michigan State and Arkansas are both going to be national title contenders next season and although Darius Acuff and Trevon Brazile will be gone, the Razorbacks are sure to add a transfer or two and they bring in a top-10 recruiting class in the country.
Michigan State loses Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, but they bring back an All-American point guard, the most athletic player in the country, and the Spartans bring in a top-five recruiting class.
And with the Final Four being in Detroit next year, this will have all the feels of a Final Four game.
We could be witnessing a preview of the Final Four in 2027 with two potential top-10 teams squaring off at LCA on Thanksgiving Day. This is going to be a hot ticket.