KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee announced Friday an agreement with Michigan State University for a two-year, home-and-home series in men’s basketball.
The first matchup will take place Nov. 17, 2026, with the Spartans visiting Food City Center. 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.
The Volunteers and Spartans have met seven times in a series that began in 1939. Tennessee owns a 2-5 record in those contests, including a 1-2 mark at home, a 0-2 ledger on the road and a 1-1 tally at neutral sites.
Most recently, the sides met in a charity exhibition contest in advance of the 2023-24 campaign, which does not count towards the series record. In an Oct. 29, 2023, top-10 showdown at the Breslin Center, No. 9/10 Tennessee beat fourth-ranked Michigan State, 89-88, behind 28 points from Dalton Knecht and 20 from Jordan Gainey, who hit the game-sealing free throw. The Volunteers never trailed and led by as many as 18 points.
The last official meeting came in the 2010 Elite Eight, the first NCAA Regional Final appearance in Tennessee history. The Spartans earned a 70-69 triumph on March 28, 2010, in a top-15 clash at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
Prior to that, the teams faced off on Dec. 20, 1994, in East Lansing in the most recent regular season game, with No. 17 Michigan State claiming a 79-68 victory on its home court.
The last contest in Knoxville came one year prior, with the Spartans winning, 69-60, on Dec. 21, 1993. Tennessee took the two series meetings before that, with its most recent victory an 85-61 result in the Volunteer Classic on Dec. 18, 1971, in Knoxville.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes (30) and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo (28) rank first and second, respectively, among active head coach in all-time Division I NCAA Tournament appearances. Barnes is co-third all-time, while Izzo sits co-fifth.
Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee and Michigan State are two of the only 13 programs in Division I with 220-plus victories. The Volunteers rank eighth with 226 wins, while the Spartans are tied for No. 12 with 220. Furthermore, Michigan State has the longest active NCAA Tournament streak in the country at 28 in a row, while Tennessee ranks co-fourth with eight straight bids.
As previously released, Tennessee will also play a home-and-home series with Purdue over the next two seasons. Additionally, the Volunteers will meet Illinois in a neutral-site game in Chicago in 2027-28, as well as compete in the Players Era Men’s Championship in both 2026-27 and 2027-28.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
