Thank you for giving the people what they want! Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes shared that his program will be taking on another titan in men's college basketball in the non-conference next year. The Vols are slated to play Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans in Knoxville next college season. Not since the 2010 Elite Eight have these two traditional powers played each other...
Any time you can see two of the top-16 programs in the sport today squaring off is great for the fans.
Tennessee will host Michigan State in the 2026-27 season, Vols coach Rick Barnes said in Nashville.
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) April 30, 2026
The Vols and Spartans have not played since the 2010 Elite Eight outside of secret scrimmages and a charity exhibition. https://t.co/IVXLQBtSyy
During this year's rendition of March Madness, both the Spartans and the Volunteers made it into the second weekend of the big dance. Michigan State got to the Sweet 16 by beating North Dakota State and Louisville, all before falling to eventual national runner-up UConn. Tennessee reached the Elite Eight for the third year in a row, beating Miami (OH), Virginia, and Iowa State, before losing to Michigan.
With Tennessee expected to have a great season again next year, this game will be huge for the Vols.
Tennessee to face Michigan State in Knoxville during the non-conference
It is never too early to start thinking about Quad 1 games in the non-conference. Because of who Tennessee and Michigan State are in their respective Power Five leagues, they will rack up some meaningful victories during SEC and Big Ten play. However, these great non-conference matchups like the one just announced could play a part in tournament seeding, depending on the outcome...
For Barnes, he has still yet to take Tennessee to the Final Four. To be fair, nobody has ever done that in program history. For as good as he has been at getting his team to the Elite Eight, we can only hope this is the year it finally happens for Vol Nation. As for Izzo, he may define the month of March, but it has been a painfully long time since Michigan State last won a national title. Michigan just won one...
Overall, sports fans deserve to see great matchups more often than they are getting them. Yes, Michigan State and Tennessee have their conference foes they will play annually, some even twice... However, more athletic directors need to take it upon themselves of putting more good games on the schedule. Michigan State having the courage to play Tennessee in Knoxville should be commended.
As long as the Vols protect their home court, scheduling this game should be to their advantage.
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