Report: MSU basketball opponent for Thanksgiving game at LCA revealed

For a second straight season John Calipari will bring his Arkansas Razorbacks to the Mitten State for a game against Tom Izzo and the Spartans. While it was originally reported that Michigan State would head to Arkansas this upcoming season to complete a home-and-home series, it now appears the Razorbacks and Spartans will meet in the Motor City on Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo said on a local Lansing show that Michigan State will play Arkansas on Thanksgiving from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

It was previously reported that Michigan State would play on Thanksgiving at Little Caesars Arena following the Detroit Lions' annual turkey day game at Ford Field, but the opponent had not been announced yet. NEWS: Arkansas will play Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesar's Arena, Tom Izzo told Tim Staudt of WILX. Initially the game was set to be in Fayetteville.

Now it will follow the Lions' game on Thanksgiving in Detroit. — JC Hoops (@JacksonCollier) March 31, 2026 The official announcement of this matchup has not been made so this could of course change. But I doubt Izzo would make a comment of this nature if it wasn't all but locked up to happen.

Michigan State hosted Arkansas in an early season ranked battle from the Breslin Center this past season, which the Spartans came out victorious. The Spartans were then expected to play at Arkansas this upcoming season as a return trip game as part of a home-and-home series. It'll be interesting to see if this change in plans is just pushing off a possible return trip game at Arkansas to the 2027-28 season or if that simply won't happen now.