The Tennessee Volunteers’ men’s basketball 2026-27 and 2027-28 pre-conference slate just got a big boost on Friday.
Longtime friends Rick Barnes and Tom Izzo will square off on the floor over the next two years, as the Vols and Michigan State Spartans will play each other in a home-and-home series. Tennessee basketball made the announcement on Friday morning on social media.
The two schools have squared off met seven times in their history, which dates back to 1939. Tennessee trails in the series, going 1-2 at home, 0-2 on neutral floors, and 1-1 in true road matchups.
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The programs most recently squared off at the Breslin Center in East Lansing back before the 2023-24 season in an exhibition matchup. Tennessee got a game-high 28 points from Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey added 20 more, including the game winning free throw, in an 89-88 Tennessee victory.
But Michigan State is still a four-letter word for some Vol fans based on their semi-recent history in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2009-10 Elite Eight, Bruce Pearl’s Vols battled the Spartans in St. Louis, and it ended in absolute heartbreak for the Big Orange. Michigan State’s Raymar Morgan made a free throw with less than two seconds left to send Michigan State to the Final Four 70-69 and crush Tennessee hearts. It remains the closest the Vols have ever gotten to the Final Four.
The stakes aren’t as high this fall, but it’ll be a chance for one potential title defender to pick up an early season marquee win.
