Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Spartans Set for Home-and-Home Series with Tennessee
7/17/2026 10:27:00 AM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's men's basketball team will play at Tennessee on Tuesday, Nov. 17 in the first game of a two-year home-and-home series with the Volunteers.
Additional information, including tip time and television, will be announced at a later date. Tennessee will make a return trip to East Lansing, Mich., for a matchup at the Breslin Center during the 2027-28 season, with the exact date to be determined.
This will be the eighth meeting between Michigan State and Tennessee, with the Spartans leading the head-to-head series, 5-2. MSU is 2-0 at home against the Vols, 2-1 on the road and 1-1 on neutral floors.
The last time the teams played was in a charity exhibition ahead of the 2023-24 season, with then-No. 9 Tennessee posting an 89-88 win over then-No. 4 Michigan State. After trailing by as many as 18 points, MSU tied the game at 88-all before the Vols hit a free throw with 1.9 seconds left to seal the win. Tyson Walker led the Spartans with 22 points, while Malik Hall had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The last official meeting between the teams came in the 2010 Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, with the Spartans posting a 70-69 win en route to the Final Four. In that game, Raymar Morgan hit a free throw with 1.8 seconds left to seal the win, finishing the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
This will be the first trip to Knoxville for MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo for a regular season game. The last time an MSU team played at Tennessee was on Dec. 21, 1993, a 69-60 Spartans win. Other visits to Knoxville included an 85-61 loss in the Volunteer Classic on Dec. 18, 1971 and a 35-31 win in the first-ever meeting on Jan. 23, 1939.
The matchup also features coaches in Izzo (28) and Tennessee's Rick Barnes (30), who rank second and first, respectively, among active head coaches in all-time Division I NCAA Tournament appearances. Izzo is tied for fifth all-time in appearances while Barnes is tied for third.
Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Michigan State and Tennessee are two of the only 13 programs in Division I with 220-plus victories. The Spartans are tied for No. 12 with 220 wins, while the Volunteers are eighth with 226 victories.
Additional information, including tip time and television, will be announced at a later date. Tennessee will make a return trip to East Lansing, Mich., for a matchup at the Breslin Center during the 2027-28 season, with the exact date to be determined.
This will be the eighth meeting between Michigan State and Tennessee, with the Spartans leading the head-to-head series, 5-2. MSU is 2-0 at home against the Vols, 2-1 on the road and 1-1 on neutral floors.
The last time the teams played was in a charity exhibition ahead of the 2023-24 season, with then-No. 9 Tennessee posting an 89-88 win over then-No. 4 Michigan State. After trailing by as many as 18 points, MSU tied the game at 88-all before the Vols hit a free throw with 1.9 seconds left to seal the win. Tyson Walker led the Spartans with 22 points, while Malik Hall had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The last official meeting between the teams came in the 2010 Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, with the Spartans posting a 70-69 win en route to the Final Four. In that game, Raymar Morgan hit a free throw with 1.8 seconds left to seal the win, finishing the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
This will be the first trip to Knoxville for MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo for a regular season game. The last time an MSU team played at Tennessee was on Dec. 21, 1993, a 69-60 Spartans win. Other visits to Knoxville included an 85-61 loss in the Volunteer Classic on Dec. 18, 1971 and a 35-31 win in the first-ever meeting on Jan. 23, 1939.
The matchup also features coaches in Izzo (28) and Tennessee's Rick Barnes (30), who rank second and first, respectively, among active head coaches in all-time Division I NCAA Tournament appearances. Izzo is tied for fifth all-time in appearances while Barnes is tied for third.
Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Michigan State and Tennessee are two of the only 13 programs in Division I with 220-plus victories. The Spartans are tied for No. 12 with 220 wins, while the Volunteers are eighth with 226 victories.
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