MSU Basketball to Face 'Marquee' Opponent Next Thanksgiving at LCA
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It's never too early to start plans for the holidays in 2026.
According to a report from the Detroit News, Michigan State men's basketball is planning on playing a "marquee" game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit next Thanksgiving. Who the Spartans' opponent will be is not yet known.
The idea is to have the basketball game start immediately following the Detroit Lions' annual Thanksgiving game, which begins at 1 p.m. ET. MSU's slot would likely be around 4:30 or 5, which may give the combo Spartans/Lions fans time to get to LCA in time for the Michigan State game.
What may motivate MSU to do this is the ratings that big college basketball games have gotten during the holiday, despite competing with the NFL. The Spartans' win against North Carolina this Thanksgiving drew an average of 6.5 million viewers --- with the contest airing immediately after the Lions game. It was the second-most-watched regular season college hoops game over the last 30 years.
Other MSU Games at LCA
An official announcement would make a lot of sense this coming week, since the Spartans will be headed to Detroit for their annual game against Oakland this Saturday. This will be the second consecutive year that Michigan State and the Golden Grizzlies will play in the home of the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings.
The last time MSU faced a true "marquee" opponent came during the 2023-24 season, when the unranked Spartans blitzed then-No. 6 Baylor, 88-64, two years ago Tuesday.
Theorizing Potential Opponents
It's going to be pretty difficult to guess who the Spartans will play, but there are a few "marquee" programs that can be eliminated right away.
Firstly, Duke and Arkansas are both off the potential list. MSU is slated to face the Blue Devils during the Champions Classic, and the Spartans will be playing their return game of their home-and-home with the Razorbacks. The same likely goes for UConn, as the Huskies will play an exhibition in East Lansing next year.
One opponent that would make some sense would be Arizona, who is at the top of the polls right now. Michigan State faced the Wildcats back on Thanksgiving 2023 in Palm Springs, Calif. That is definitely closer to Arizona than MSU, so maybe the Wildcats would be a little willing to return the favor.
Houston, currently ranked eighth, would be a name that would also make some sense. The Cougars' head coach, Kelvin Sampson, started his coaching career as a graduate assistant in East Lansing and was actually there before Tom Izzo arrived on campus. Sampson was a GA from 1979-80; Izzo arrived as an assistant in 1983.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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