The UConn men’s basketball team will face off with Michigan State in a home-and-home exhibition series over the next two years. The first game will be ahead of the upcoming season, on Oct. 28 in Connecticut, with the venue yet to be announced.
UConn will play in East Lansing on a date to be determined in 2026.
The Huskies previously announced they would take on Boston College in the Hall of Fame Exhibition game at Mohegan Sun Arena on Oct. 13. That game is part of a doubleheader between the two schools in both men’s and women’s hoops.
While the games will not count in the official series record, UConn and Michigan State have met eight times in the regular season and split the series, 4-4. The sides first met in a home-and-home played in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, with each team winning on its home floor before going on to win a national title. The last six meetings have been at neutral sites, including NCAA Tournament games in 2009 (a Final Four win for Michigan State) and 2014 (an Elite Eight win for UConn). The two sides have combined for eight national titles and are both among the 15 programs with multiple championships.
The Huskies and Spartans have squared off only once in the Dan Hurley era at Connecticut, a semifinal at the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis and four-point win for Michigan State. Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo has been at the helm for Michigan State in all eight meetings between the teams.
The Spartans are coming off a 30-win season and a trip to the Elite Eight last season, their 11th Regional Final under Izzo. The meeting this season marks Michigan State’s first trip to UConn since Dec. 5, 1998, while the return will be UConn’s first visit to East Lansing since Feb. 5, 2000.
Izzo and Hurley are friends, and the longtime Michigan State head coach spoke with The Courant about their relationship during last season’s Maui Invitational.
“When Danny first went (to the Final Four) – I’ve known Danny and I’ve known his dad- but I called him because I know what it’s like to go to a Final Four for the first time and we became friends through that,” Izzo said. “I would say in this profession sometimes there’s phony people. Danny is not one of them. What you see is what you get, and I appreciate that.”
Originally Published: July 24, 2025 at 12:17 PM EDT
