Michigan State Releases Men's Basketball Schedule

Ten opponents played in 2008 NCAA Tournament, including defending National Champion Kansas.

EAST LANSING, Mich.

"This promises to be one of the most exciting schedules in recent years and certainly stacks up against any other schedule in the

nation," said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. "In the non-conference, we are looking forward to playing Kansas in the Breslin

Center, as I've always wanted to bring the top programs from across the country to our fans in Michigan and East Lansing. We are

equally excited to have another opportunity to play North Carolina at Ford Field in Detroit.

"Playing in the Old Spice Classic during Thanksgiving weekend will give us an early measuring stick for our team against one of the

best early season tournament fields in the country. To open with Maryland, follow with Gonzaga or Oklahoma State, and then

possibly meet Tennessee or Georgetown or quality teams like Siena or Wichita State in the final round, we are looking at a

tournament with three tough games. Our recent games against Texas have all been extremely competitive and I expect nothing

different when we travel to Houston. It's a non-conference schedule that could feature as many as six ranked opponents, while also

playing a mixture of games in front of Spartans fans, true neutral sites and games in hostile environments.

"I think the Big Ten will continue to improve. Several of the top players from last season throughout the conference return to their

teams, and with so many new coaches last year now in their second season, I think we are in store for a very competitive 18-game

conference season, where the conference race will likely come down to the final week of the regular season."

All 18 Big Ten games will be televised by a national television network, including one on CBS, four on ESPN, one on ESPN2, six on

the Big Ten Network, one on ESPN or ESPN2, one on ESPN, ESPN2 or the Big Ten Network and three on CBS, ESPN or the Big

Ten Network. Start times and television coverage for most non-conference games will be announced at a later date.

Michigan State will open the 2008-09 season at home against Idaho on Sunday, Nov. 16. Following a road trip to IPFW on Nov. 19,

the Spartans will travel to Orlando, Fla., for the 2008 Old Spice Classic, which features one of the top fields of any early season

tournament. Seven of the eight teams in the field participated in the 2008 postseason, including NCAA Tournament squads

Georgetown, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Siena and Tennessee and NIT teams Maryland and Oklahoma State. The Spartans will

open the tournament on Thanksgiving (Nov. 27), with a 7 p.m. contest against Maryland on ESPN2. The winner will play the

Gonzaga-Oklahoma State winner on Nov. 28. Following an off day on Saturday, the championship round will be played on Sunday,

Nov. 30. Every game of the Classic will be televised by ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

A stiff test awaits following Michigan State's trip to Disneyworld as the Spartans will play North Carolina on Dec. 3 at Detroit's Ford

Field, site of the 2009 Final Four. The Tar Heels are an early pick for the No. 1 team in the polls as they return all five starters and

top six scorers from a team that posted a 36-3 record and advanced to the 2008 Final Four. This will be MSU's second game at

Ford Field, as the Spartans hosted Kentucky on Dec. 13, 2003 in front of a world-record crowd of 78,129. Tickets are available

through all Ticketmaster locations and ticketmaster.com.

The Spartans follow with a three-game homestand against Bradley (Dec. 7), Alcorn State (Dec. 13) and The Citadel (Dec. 17). On

Dec. 20, Michigan State will play Texas at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Last season, the Spartans handed the Longhorns

their first loss of the season with a 78-72 win at The Palace of Auburn Hills. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Texas advanced to the

Elite Eight before falling to national finalist Memphis, one game after the Tigers defeated Michigan State. The final game of MSU's

early non-conference schedule features the Spartans playing Oakland at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Dec. 27.

Big Ten Conference play opens with Michigan State at Minnesota on New Year's Eve at 6 p.m. This will be the first conference

game the Spartans have played in December since a 74-57 win at Purdue on Dec. 30, 1997. For the third time in four seasons,

MSU will open conference play with back-to-back road games as the Spartans travel to Northwestern on Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. Both the

Minnesota and Northwestern games will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

Michigan State's Big Ten home opener brings Ohio State into the Breslin Center on Jan. 6 for a 7 p.m. telecast on ESPN2. Five

days later, Kansas comes to East Lansing on Jan. 10 for the final non-conference game of the season. The Spartans and Jayhawks

have not met since the two teams played in Lawrence on Nov. 25, 2003.

On Jan. 14, MSU travels to Penn State for a 6:30 p.m. contest on the Big Ten Network. A two-game homestand follows with league

games against Illinois on Jan. 17 (4 p.m., ESPN) and Northwestern on Jan. 21 (6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network). The Spartans take to

the road for two more games against Ohio State on Jan. 25 (3:45 p.m., CBS) and Iowa on Jan. 29 (7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2).

February opens with Michigan State's longest conference homestand. Penn State comes to East Lansing on Feb. 1 (12 p.m., Big

Ten Network), followed by Minnesota on Feb. 4 (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) and Indiana on Feb. 7 (4 p.m., ESPN). The game

against the Hoosiers will feature the first meeting between Izzo and former assistant Tom Crean since he took over the IU program.

The lone meeting between in-state rivals Michigan State and Michigan will take place on Feb. 10 in Ann Arbor (7 p.m., ESPN). This

is a flip-flop of last year when the two teams only met in East Lansing, with MSU defeating the Wolverines, 77-62. In a game

between possible Big Ten title contenders, the Spartans play at Purdue on Feb. 17 (7 p.m., ESPN). Wisconsin and Michigan State

also will meet only once this season on Feb. 22. An official date and start time will be announced no later than Feb. 1. On Feb. 25,

Michigan State hosts Iowa at 8:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network), followed by a road game at Illinois on Feb. 28 or March 1, depending on

television selections to be made no later than Feb. 16.

In the final week of the season, the Spartans will play both teams from the Hoosier state. In a mid-week contest, MSU will travel to

Bloomington, Ind. for a game on March 3, 4 or 5 depending on a television decision to be made no later than Feb. 2. Michigan State

will close out the regular season at home against Purdue on March 7 or 8. The tip time and television network will be announced by

Feb. 23.

The 12th annual Big Ten Tournament will run from March 12-15 in Indianapolis. The 2009 NCAA Tournament opens March 19,

concluding with the Final Four at Detroit's Ford Field on April 4 and 6.