The Michigan State Spartans are scheduling massive games under head coach Tom Izzo. On Wednesday, the Spartans set a 2-year series with Arkansas, who will visit East Lansing on November 8 before a return trip to Bud Walton Arena in 2026. This scheduling is key for Arkansas to feel comfortable about its positioning in the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams announced the scheduled series on their social media accounts:
The matchup also features other massive storylines, like that both head coaches, Tom Izzo and Calipari, are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Their teams have met 5 times before, with Calipari’s teams holding a 3-2 edge. In their most recent meeting, Michigan State beat the Calipari-coached Kentucky Wildcats in 2022 at the Champions Classic, 86-77.
The Arkansas storyline worth noting in this series is that Arkansas has never beaten Michigan State, which could be massive for the Razorbacks basketball program. The Spartans have beaten Arkansas in their previous 2 matchups — Once in the Maui Classic championship game in 1991 and 1995 in the Great Eight Tournament.
Michigan State has a tough non-conference schedule ahead of itself this season, having to face Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and now Arkansas – which should all be top 25 teams when they eventually face off.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.