1. Michigan State’s men’s basketball schedule is backloaded again
Last season, a relatively friendly early Big Ten schedule helped MSU get off to a great start as the Spartans gained some momentum and confidence. February, though, is where they really won the Big Ten.
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If the Spartans are going to contend for another Big Ten championship, they’ll earn it in February again, given their conference slate, which was announced Thursday afternoon.
Beginning with a Jan. 30 home date against Michigan, MSU’s final 10 games of Big Ten play are a relentless trek through what’s likely to be the top of the league and some of the harder venues in the conference. Outside of dates at Minnesota and home against Rutgers, here are the other eight opponents down the stretch: Michigan, Illinois, at Wisconsin, UCLA, Ohio State, at Purdue, at Indiana and at Michigan.
We don’t know how good each team will be yet — including MSU — but, based on what they have returning or have brought in, Purdue, Michigan and Illinois are very likely to be up there.
MSU would be wise to do well again in the first half of its Big Ten slate, which begins with Iowa and at Penn State in December, before at Nebraska, USC, Northwestern, Indiana, a trip to Washington and Oregon, followed by Maryland and a road game at Rutgers. If you look at the projected rosters, there are some potentially solid-to-tough teams and difficult trips, but nothing like February.
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MORE: See the complete MSU’s men’s basketball 2025-26 schedule
2. MSU benefits from its brand in December
The Spartans already have a doozy of a November and December slate, facing Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke, with the Razorbacks and Blue Devils at home, the Wildcats and Tar Heels on neutral sites.
Their lone true road game in those first two months — Dec. 13 at Penn State, often one of the least-intimidating road environments in Big Ten basketball, both in terms of roster quality and atmosphere. The Nittany Lions aren’t projected to be especially good this season, either.
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MSU’s other December Big Ten home game: Dec. 2 at home against a new-look Iowa program coached by Ben McCollum. McCollum, based on his stops at Drake and Northwest Missouri State, will maximize what the Hawkeyes can be in this new era of college athletics. McCollum has already reshaped the roster with a number of transfers, including several key guys from his most recent Drake team, which was outstanding. They’ll be solid, but there are likely tougher matchups in the Big Ten.
In the aggregate, hosting Iowa and playing at Penn State is a manageable part of December, relative to what it could be. For example, Minnesota hosts Indiana and then plays at Purdue. The TV executives want the biggest games in January and February, when people are paying attention to college basketball. They’re not usually wasting MSU at Illinois or MSU-Michigan in December. And that benefits the Spartans as they grow into the season.
RELATED: Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State men’s basketball’s non-conference schedule
Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick reacts against Wisconsin, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich.
3. MSU women’s basketball’s home schedule should be fun
Most of MSU women’s basketball’s marquee Big Ten games last season were away from Breslin Center. Not so this time around.
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Per the schedule released Thursday, MSU hosts USC, Michigan, Maryland, UCLA and Ohio State between Jan. 22 and March 1. All of those are projected to be top 25 teams. Michigan might be in the top 10. And UCLA could be among the top couple teams in the country. MSU, itself, is seen as a preseason top 15 team.
If the Spartans are going to take that next step in the Big Ten toward contention this season, a lot of it will happen in front of their home fans.
MORE: See the complete MSU women’s basketball 2025-26 schedule
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU basketball 2025-26 Big Ten schedules are released: 3 quick takes
