It’s finally official: Arkansas-Michigan State date is set

The Razorbacks and Spartans will meet again on Thanksgiving Day and now the whole world knows the details. We heard the game was going to happen some time ago.

Arkansas basketball’s matchup against Michigan State was officially announced Wednesday as part of the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m., which works out to 3:30 p.m. for fans back home.

The game airs nationally on CBS and streams live on Paramount+ right after the Chicago Bears face the Detroit Lions earlier that day.

It will cause a distraction for the many Razorback fans that also are Dallas Cowboy fans because that game starts at the same time on Fox.

This is the second straight season the Hogs and Spartans have squared off. Michigan State won last year’s meeting 69-66 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Nov. 8, 2025.

Wednesday’s announcement makes this the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools, with Michigan State holding a 3-0 series edge that dates back to a 1991 game in Maui and a 1995 matchup in Auburn Hills.

Third straight year on Thanksgiving stage

Arkansas isn’t new to this holiday spotlight.

This marks the third consecutive season the Razorbacks have played on Thanksgiving Day under coach John Calipari, following losses to Illinois in 2024 and Duke last season.

The Illinois game averaged 5.1 million viewers, and last year’s Duke matchup pulled in 6.81 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular season college basketball game since 1993.

Calipari addressed the opportunity directly in a statement released alongside the announcement.

“We are grateful for the opportunity CBS is affording us by playing on Thanksgiving Day for a third straight year,” Calipari said in a statement on the team’s website. “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.”

Both programs enter season with high expectations

Arkansas comes off a 28-9 season and an SEC Tournament title in Calipari’s second year on the Hill, matching the win total from the 2021-22 squad.

The Razorbacks and Spartans both reached the Sweet 16 last March and now sit among the nation’s top-15 teams in early polls, with Michigan State at No. 5 and Arkansas at No. 11 in CBS Sports’ Top 25 and 1 rankings.

The Hogs bring back starter Billy Richmond and add transfers Jeremiah Wilkinson from Georgia and Cooper Bowser from Furman, plus a recruiting class featuring five-star Jordan Smith Jr. and fellow top-30 prospects JJ Andrews, Abdou Toure and Miika Muurinen.

Michigan State returns All-Big Ten guard Jeremy Fears along with Jordan Scott and Coen Carr, and welcomes the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class.

Izzo also weighed in on the rematch.

“I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena,” 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.”

Calipari has said the plan calls for Michigan State to travel to Bud Walton Arena for a home-and-home return trip during the 2027-28 season.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas and Michigan State tip off Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, airing on CBS at 3:30 p.m.
• It’s the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and Michigan State’s third straight Thanksgiving appearance for the Hogs
• Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season and rank in the top 15 of early CBS Sports polls