Arkansas and Michigan State will meet on Thanksgiving Day at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena for a college basketball showdown televised by CBS, it was announced Wednesday. The 4:30 p.m. ET matchup will follow the Lions vs. Bears NFL game, marking the third year in a row CBS has hosted a marquee college hoops matchup on Thanksgiving following its NFL game. The game will also stream live on Paramount+.
The Razorbacks and Spartans are both expected to be preseason top 15 teams after reaching the Sweet 16 in 2026. Michigan State is No. 5 and Arkansas is No. 11 in Gary Parrish’s most recent Top 25 and 1 rankings. They have played only three times previously, with Michigan State owning a 3-0 record in the series, which includes a 69-66 win by the Spartans in East Lansing last season.
“I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “When you have a chance to play a game that will be a memory-maker for your players and your program, you take advantage of that opportunity. This is the second straight year we’ll play a very talented Arkansas team, and it gives me another chance to match up with one of my great friends in college basketball, John Calipari. These are the types of games that will help both teams down the road. To play a team like Arkansas in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Lions, will make for a great day for sports fans in our state and for college basketball.”
Staging a Thanksgiving Day blockbuster on CBS has been a success for college basketball each of the past two years, and the magnitude of this year’s matchup should make for another well-watched game. Last year’s contest between Arkansas and Duke was the most-watched regular-season college basketball game since 1993, averaging 6.81 million viewers.
A 2024 Thanksgiving Day showdown between the Razorbacks and Illinois averaged 5.1 million viewers. This will mark Arkansas’ third straight year competing in the Thanksgiving spotlight on CBS. The Razorbacks fell to Illinois and Duke each of the past two seasons but enter the 2026-27 season buoyed by the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.
“We are grateful for the opportunity CBS is affording us by playing on Thanksgiving Day for a third straight year,” Calipari said. “Our program has benefited from playing in this game both on the court and from the national exposure. Last year, our Thanksgiving Day game on CBS was the most viewed college basketball game of the season, and one of the most-watched regular-season games in over 30 years. I have no doubt us playing Michigan State will match that. Coach Izzo is a great friend, and I never like competing against friends because someone has to lose. But, this is the type of game our team will need to see where we stand early in the season and to prepare for the SEC season and beyond.”
Michigan State returns All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and high-flying forward Coen Carr under 32nd-year coach Tom Izzo. Sophomore forward Cam Ward is also back and in line for a bigger role after scoring a season-high 18 points against the Razorbacks in last November’s win for the Spartans. Michigan State will welcome a top-30 recruiting class that includes four-star prospects Julius Avent, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr., and Ethan Taylor.
The Razorbacks return starter Billy Richmond and bring in impact transfers Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia) and Cooper Bowser (Furman) along with the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, which includes top-30 prospects Jordan Smith Jr. (No. 2), JJ Andrews (No. 12), Abdou Toure (No. 26) and Miika Muurinen (No. 55).
