Michigan State University Athletics
Fifth-Seeded MSU Women’s Basketball To Face 12th-Seeded Colorado State In NCAA Tournament
3/15/2026 10:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Spartans tangle with Rams Friday in Norman, Oklahoma.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State women's basketball will be the No. 5-seed in the Sacramento Regional of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and will take on 12th-seeded Colorado State on Friday, March 20. Tip-off time for Friday's action at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, home of No. 4 seed Oklahoma, will be announced at a later date.
Friday's clash between the Spartans and Rams will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
The winner of the Michigan State-Colorado State game will advance to the second round to meet the winner of regional No. 4 seed and host, Oklahoma, and 13th-seeded Idaho.
MSU's No. 5 seed is the Spartans' highest in the three seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick. Overall it is Michigan State's highest ranking since 2016, when the Spartans were a No. 4 seed.
The Spartans are making their 21st overall trip to the "Big Dance." MSU has made it to the NCAA Tournament in 18 of the last 23 completed seasons.
This is the fifth time that the Spartans have earned the No. 5 seed. The last time was in 2014 in Chapel Hill. They also earned the honor in 2013, 2010 and 2007. Overall, Michigan State is 4-4 as the No. 5 seed.
Third-year head coach Robyn Fralick is the first-ever Michigan State women's basketball head coach to lead the Spartans into the NCAA Tournament in their first three seasons at the helm of the MSU program.
Michigan State enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-8 overall record, falling in the Big Ten Tournament second round to Illinois. The Spartans ended the regular season with an 11-7 mark in Big Ten games, tying for sixth overall in the league, but earning the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. This is the third-straight season that MSU surpassed the 10-win mark in league contests.
The Spartans and Rams have only met on the hardwood one other time, facing off in the 2011 Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico, with MSU crushing CSU, 72-45, on Dec. 20, 2011.
Michigan State is making its first trip to Norman, Oklahoma for the NCAA Tournament, but the Spartans played a regular-season game there in 2005, when MSU beat Oklahoma, 80-60, on Dec. 21, 2005.
It will also be the Spartans' second-ever trip to the state of Oklahoma for the NCAA Tournament.
MSU played in the state of Oklahoma in the Spartans' first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1991, earning a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region, before losing to No. 5 seed and host, Oklahoma State, 96-94, in 3OT, on March 16, 1991, which at the time was Michigan State' longest-ever and its first 3OT game, and is still currently only one of three games the Spartans have ever played going three or more OT.
The Spartans are 1-2 all-time in games played in the state of Oklahoma, as along with the 1991 NCAA Tournament loss and 2005 regular-season win, MSU also played at OSU in the 2003 regular-season, losing 62-20 on Dec. 2, 2003.
Michigan State is a combined 6-1 vs. teams from the Mountain West Conference, as along with a 1-0 mark against Colorado State, the Spartans are 3-0 vs. Fresno State, 0-1 vs. Hawai'i, 1-0 vs. San Diego State and 1-0 vs. Wyoming.
If MSU wins and advances to the second round, the Spartans are 1-1 all-time vs. Oklahoma, as along with the 2005 meeting, Michigan State lost to OU, 66-55, on Dec. 16, 2007. MSU has never played Idaho, should both the Spartans and Vandals win in the first round.
Further game information, ticket information and ways to follow all the action from Norman will be announced on MSUSpartans.com when available.
Friday's clash between the Spartans and Rams will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
The winner of the Michigan State-Colorado State game will advance to the second round to meet the winner of regional No. 4 seed and host, Oklahoma, and 13th-seeded Idaho.
MSU's No. 5 seed is the Spartans' highest in the three seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick. Overall it is Michigan State's highest ranking since 2016, when the Spartans were a No. 4 seed.
The Spartans are making their 21st overall trip to the "Big Dance." MSU has made it to the NCAA Tournament in 18 of the last 23 completed seasons.
This is the fifth time that the Spartans have earned the No. 5 seed. The last time was in 2014 in Chapel Hill. They also earned the honor in 2013, 2010 and 2007. Overall, Michigan State is 4-4 as the No. 5 seed.
Third-year head coach Robyn Fralick is the first-ever Michigan State women's basketball head coach to lead the Spartans into the NCAA Tournament in their first three seasons at the helm of the MSU program.
Michigan State enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-8 overall record, falling in the Big Ten Tournament second round to Illinois. The Spartans ended the regular season with an 11-7 mark in Big Ten games, tying for sixth overall in the league, but earning the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. This is the third-straight season that MSU surpassed the 10-win mark in league contests.
The Spartans and Rams have only met on the hardwood one other time, facing off in the 2011 Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico, with MSU crushing CSU, 72-45, on Dec. 20, 2011.
Michigan State is making its first trip to Norman, Oklahoma for the NCAA Tournament, but the Spartans played a regular-season game there in 2005, when MSU beat Oklahoma, 80-60, on Dec. 21, 2005.
It will also be the Spartans' second-ever trip to the state of Oklahoma for the NCAA Tournament.
MSU played in the state of Oklahoma in the Spartans' first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1991, earning a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region, before losing to No. 5 seed and host, Oklahoma State, 96-94, in 3OT, on March 16, 1991, which at the time was Michigan State' longest-ever and its first 3OT game, and is still currently only one of three games the Spartans have ever played going three or more OT.
The Spartans are 1-2 all-time in games played in the state of Oklahoma, as along with the 1991 NCAA Tournament loss and 2005 regular-season win, MSU also played at OSU in the 2003 regular-season, losing 62-20 on Dec. 2, 2003.
Michigan State is a combined 6-1 vs. teams from the Mountain West Conference, as along with a 1-0 mark against Colorado State, the Spartans are 3-0 vs. Fresno State, 0-1 vs. Hawai'i, 1-0 vs. San Diego State and 1-0 vs. Wyoming.
If MSU wins and advances to the second round, the Spartans are 1-1 all-time vs. Oklahoma, as along with the 2005 meeting, Michigan State lost to OU, 66-55, on Dec. 16, 2007. MSU has never played Idaho, should both the Spartans and Vandals win in the first round.
Further game information, ticket information and ways to follow all the action from Norman will be announced on MSUSpartans.com when available.
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