MSU Basketball Sets Up Exhibition on Night of Izzone Campout

The Spartans will play a live opponent on the night of the annual Izzone Campout.

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo talks to the fans during the senior night ceremony after the Spartans win over Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This will be fun.

Michigan State basketball announced on Thursday that it would be playing an exhibition game against Incarnate Word the night of the Izzone Campout on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. ET. Admission to the game will be available only to Izzone members and season ticket holders, according to a school press release.

Why Incarnate Word?

Dec 10, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Incarnate Word Cardinals head coach Shane Heirman (right) talks to guard Jalin Anderson (1) during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The choice of Incarnate Word for an exhibition opponent is definitely a bit interesting. The Cardinals will be traveling all the way up from San Antonio, Texas, for this game, but there are a few connections between the two programs.

UIW head coach Shane Heirman used to be the head coach at La Lumiere School, which is a national powerhouse at the high school level, from 2014-17. That means Heirman was the high school coach for former Spartan and five-star prospect Jaren Jackson Jr., which makes it easy to deduce Heirman is not a stranger to Tom Izzo.

Dec 9, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo talk with Michigan State Spartans forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (2) during the second half of a game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Incarnate Word finished last season 12-19 overall and 7-15 against competition within the Southland Conference. The two high-major programs on its schedule last year were Indiana and TCU, and UIW actually only lost those games by eight and four points, respectively. The Cardinals haven't appeared in the NCAA Tournament since transitioning to Division I in 2013.

Other Exhbition Games Scheduled

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley talks with an official against the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The announcement of Incarnate Word as an exhibition foe means Michigan State will actually play three preseason games before its season officially tips off against Quinnipiac on Monday, Nov. 2. MSU is also set to host UConn on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and travel to play Marquette on the road on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Those two games are part of home-and-home deals between the two respective schools. Michigan State played the Huskies on the road during an exhibition game last season, and Marquette should be set to come to East Lansing before the 2027-28 campaign. Exhibitions are just that --- exhibitions --- but they do offer interesting glimpses into what a team could be or look like.

Known Dates on MSU's Non-Conference Schedule

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes before the Maui Relief Charity Game on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan State has not formally announced its complete non-conference schedule, but nearly all of it has already been pieced together from individual announcements from MSU, announcements from its opponents, or other reputable reports. The team's Big Ten schedule was announced on Wednesday.

For now, the known games are: Quinnipiac at home on Nov. 2, Toledo at home on Nov. 5, Duke in Chicago on Nov. 10, Tennessee on the road on Nov. 17, Detroit Mercy at home on Nov. 21, Arkansas in Detroit on Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving), Drake at home on Dec. 5, Merrimack at home on Dec. 12, Gonzaga in Palm Springs on Dec. 19, Oakland at home on Dec. 22, and Penn at home on Dec. 29.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo gives instructions during a game against Louisville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

This leaves just one spot left that is either unfilled right now or just not public yet. There have been rumblings of the team adding another premier game to the slate. Rising sophomore Cam Ward hinted at it during the Moneyball Pro-Am and said he "can't wait" for it to be announced.