Date, Location Set for Upcoming MSU-Gonzaga Battle

We now know when and where the Spartans' game against the Zags is.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday, March 8, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The non-conference schedules for Michigan State basketball are always special.

MSU already has multiple premier games set up. Added to the list now is a neutral-site battle against Gonzaga. Tom Izzo had already said before that this game was being set up, but now we know the date.

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mark Few during the Naismith Hall of Fame press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

On Friday, college basketball insider Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported that the Spartans and the Bulldogs would meet on Dec. 19 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Calif., and that an official announcement could be coming soon. Both schools' women's basketball teams will also face off.

This game will be a rare instance of two active Hall of Fame coaches meeting up. Izzo has been enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame since 2016. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few is scheduled to be formally inducted in August.

History vs. Gonzaga

Nov 11, 2022; San Diego, California, US; Michigan State Spartans guard A.J. Hoggard (11) shoots the ball while defended by Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) during the second half at USS Abraham Lincoln. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

This matchup will be the seventh all-time meeting between MSU and the Zags. Michigan State holds an advantage with a 4-2 record. Izzo has been the Spartans' head coach for all six of those games. Few has been the head coach for five and has been on the Gonzaga staff for all six.

The most recent meeting was pretty memorable. That game was the second of the 2022-23 season and was played in San Diego on an aircraft carrier—the USS Abraham Lincoln, to be exact. MSU led for much of that game, but Gonzaga came back from down 12 in the second half to eke out a 64-63 win. Drew Timme had 22 points and 13 rebounds during that one.

Other Big Non-Conference Battles

Michigan State's Tom Izzo yells at a referee about a call made during a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

This is the fourth premier battle that Izzo and Michigan State have on the docket now, three being set for the regular season. MSU has an exhibition game against UConn set up that'll be held at the Breslin Center, likely during mid-to-late October. Duke is scheduled during the annual Champions Classic on Nov. 10 in Chicago. Then there's the Thanksgiving tussle vs. Arkansas in Detroit.

Izzo has also indicated that he might add one more higher-end non-conference game, too. This past season, MSU played an exhibition at UConn, hosted Duke and Arkansas in East Lansing, played Kentucky in New York, and then North Carolina in Fort Myers, Fla. Its non-conference schedule was ranked as the fourth-toughest in the Big Ten at KenPom. This one, this time around, will certainly be near the most difficult nationally as well.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo walks in with his staff 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