The college basketball world is buzzing as the Tennessee Volunteers and the Michigan State Spartans have announced a home‑and‑home series scheduled for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, a pairing that revives a rivalry that stretches back nearly nine decades.
A renewed rivalry
Their first meeting dates to 1939, and over the ensuing years the Spartans have held a slight edge, leading the all‑time series despite the Volunteers’ recent surge in exhibition play.
The most recent encounter, an exhibition held earlier this year, ended with Tennessee edging Michigan State 89‑88, a narrow victory that added another chapter to a saga that includes a heart‑stopping Elite Eight clash in 2010.
That 2010 game, played in St. Louis, saw Raymar Morgan sink a clutch free throw with under two seconds remaining, preserving a 70‑69 win for the Spartans and leaving the Volunteers with a record of 1‑2 at home, 0‑2 on neutral sites and 1‑1 in true road contests.
Coaches Rick Barnes and Tom Izzo, both veterans of the sport’s biggest stages, will now guide their squads in the upcoming meetings, with standouts such as Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey expected to play pivotal roles.
The significance of the series extends beyond win‑loss records; it offers a narrative thread that ties together moments of triumph and near‑misses, including the 2010 finish that remains the closest the Vols have ever come to the Final Four.
Fans on both sides are already marking calendars, anticipating how the new chapters will be written on the hardwood and how the historic venues will shape the atmosphere of what promises to be a memorable showdown.