How To Watch MSU Basketball's Exhibition vs. Incarnate Word

Here's what you need to know about the Spartans' first exhibition contest against Incarnate Word.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. attempts a free throw against Cornell at the Breslin Center on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Michigan State basketball is back in action (kind of).

The Spartans are set to play the first of three exhibitions in the month-long lead-up to the official start of the 2026-27 season. This first preseason contest is against Incarnate Word. Tickets were available only to Izzone members and season ticket holders, but you can still watch the game from home.

Streaming Details

Michigan State's Jordan Scott warms up for a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on S

Date: Friday, Oct. 2

Tip-Off: 7 p.m. ET

Streaming: B1G+ | Prices: $12.99/month or $89.99/year

Fast Facts on Matchup

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo claps during the first basketball practice of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

MSU's 2025-26 Record: 27-8 overall, 15-5 Big Ten | Lost to (2) UConn in the Sweet 16

Head Coach: Tom Izzo (32nd season at MSU and overall) | Career W-L Record: 764-310

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

UIW's 2025-26 Record: 12-19 overall, 7-15 Southland | Did not qualify for the Southland Conference Tournament

Head Coach: Shane Heirman (fourth season at UIW and overall) | Career W-L Record: 39-59

Things To Watch Against Incarnate Word

Michigan State’s Coen Carr runs a drill during the first basketball practice of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Having a glimpse of Michigan State this early will definitely be interesting. The Spartans only officially began practice last week, though the team has already been together for a bit during summer workouts. Tom Izzo, a former Division II guy himself, wanted to get a D-II in to play MSU for this exhibition that is the same night as the Izzone Campout, but NCAA rules prevented a lower-tier program from playing an exhibition this early.

Incarnate Word makes a lot of sense as a replacement, actually. The Cardinals' coach, Shane Heirman, used to be Jaren Jackson Jr.'s head coach at La Lumiere School in Indiana, so he and Izzo likely interacted a fair bit during that time. In addition, lead assistant Doug Wojcik's brother, Dave, is also on the Incarnate Word staff.

Michigan State’s Anton Bonke, center, and the Spartans huddle up during the first basketball practice of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest thing to watch on Friday will be the kind of lineups Izzo experiments with. That's really the most interesting part of exhibition games in general: it's one of the few shots Izzo has to throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks against live competition. The only bit of injury news is a minor ankle sprain for Cam Ward. He won't play on Friday, but it's minor enough that Izzo says they'd let him play if it were a real game.

Since practice essentially just started, there shouldn't be much to say about who plays the most minutes or who plays well. The exception may be with the newcomers. Michigan State has a hyped-up freshman class this year and a new starting center from the portal, Anton Bonke. That first impression and how they look will be the main storyline on Friday night at the Breslin Center.