MSU Hoops Schedules Road Exhibition Game Against Big East Program

Michigan State is adding another intriguing early-season matchup to its schedule.

On Thursday morning, the Spartans announced they would be going on the road to Marquette for an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. ET (other TV details are TBA). This is the second known exhibition game for MSU on the docket, both being against Big East programs. Michigan State will host UConn for an exhibition game on a date yet to be announced.

History for MSU vs. Marquette

MSU marquett — Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper defends Marquette Golden Eagles forward Oso Ighodaro in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Columbus, Ohio, March 19, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

MSU and Marquette are actually relatively familiar with one another. The Spartans hold a 33-23 lead in the overall season series, but those are all during games that count. Almost all of those games were before Michigan State formally joined the Big Ten in the '20s, '30s, '40s, and '50s, though.

During the Tom Izzo era in East Lansing, MSU has won all three matchups against the Golden Eagles on the court. Michigan State beat Marquette 61-49 in 2007 during the first round of March Madness, won a November 2014 matchup 79-68 during the Orlando Classic, and then upset Marquette in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, 69-60.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shakes the hand of an Ohio State assistant before a game at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

MSU's announcement of the exhibition matchup does not indicate whether Marquette will return the favor and come to East Lansing in the future. It's becoming more common to see two programs agree to home-and-home contracts for exhibition games, but the team's post seems to say this is a road-only deal.

Recent Shift in Exhibition Scheduling

This also continues the shift in college basketball away from playing lower-tier teams in exhibition games. In the past, Michigan State would fill these exhibition slots with home games against Division II schools, such as Grand Valley State, Ferris State, or Hillsdale. Following COVID and a charity exhibition that MSU had against Tennessee, it seems like there has been a collective realization to schedule actual opponents during these slots.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. looks on during the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Louisville at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Frankly, it's a bit surprising it took this long for this trend or shift to happen. This allows Izzo to try out different lineups and tactics against opposing players legitimately good enough to expose any flaws, and the great part is that there is no punishment if it doesn't work. That all-big lineup might look great against a D-II team with nobody taller than 6'8", but how will it look against a fellow high-major school?

This game against Marquette also offers Michigan State a chance to experience a road atmosphere pretty quickly. Being able to handle being away from home is the mark of a great squad, especially when the Spartans have road games against four of last year's Elite Eight teams (Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa) on the schedule.

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