Report: Michigan State basketball to play Rutgers at Madison Square Garden

Michigan State basketball looks to be heading back to The Big Apple and The World’s Most Famous Arena, and it will be coming in Big Ten play.

According to CBS Sports’ college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, the Spartans are reportedly scheduled to play their road game against Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.

It is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 25, though Rothstein reported that both programs and Madison Square Garden are still finalizing the contract.

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The 2024-25 season will mark the 30th season in East Lansing for Tom Izzo. If Michigan State’s road game vs. Rutgers does end up being played at The Garden, it will be the first time the Spartans will play at MSG since losing to Kansas State in the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State is coming off a 20-15 season last year, one in which the Spartans extended their NCAA Tournament appearance streak to 26 consecutive seasons. The Spartans return star guard Jaden Akins from last season while adding strong forward Frankie Fidler to the rotation from the transfer portal.

With the addition’s of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten this season, the Big Ten regular season will be comprised of a 20-game conference schedule. Per the Big Ten’s release in May, each program will play three schools both home and away, while facing the 14 teams once. The Big Ten season will end in Indianapolis as the conference tournament will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse from Wednesday, March 12-Sunday, March 16.

Michigan State is slated to start the 2024-25 season with a two-game home stand against Monmouth on Monday, Nov. 4 and Niagara on Thursday, Nov. 7.

The Spartans will learn their full Big Ten conference schedule later Thursday, as the conference is set to unveil the 2024-25 men’s and women’s basketball schedules from 4 to 5 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball to play Rutgers at Madison Square Garden