The 2026-27 basketball season seems so far away, but it’s really closer than it may appear. Even with the only basketball currently being played featuring Team USA’s younger talent joining forces at the AmeriCup to represent their country’s colors, the anticipation for next season continues to grow.
That includes Team USA women’s assistant coach Robyn Fralick, the head coach of Michigan State. The Spartans aren’t just watching their head coach help lead the next talented group ready to take over the WNBA. They also had one eye on the release of the Big Ten schedule matrix and where the Spartans will be playing.
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So let’s rank Michigan State’s home and away conference games based on how exciting they’ll be.
Home Games
Games the Spartans Should Win
These six teams make up the home games that should come with high expectations for Michigan State. Much like last season, Fralick needs to have the Lady Spartans playing up to par against teams that enter as underdogs, and that’s something she has consistently excelled at.
Fralick has done a great job making sure her team doesn’t play down to its competition. Instead, the Spartans have shown an ability to step on an opponent’s throat when the opportunity presents itself.
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Last season, Michigan State defeated Washington by 15 points, Purdue by 21, Penn State by 11, Indiana by 20, and Oregon by four. The Spartans also lost to Wisconsin by 14 points. Michigan State has proven it can handle most of these teams, and with the Badgers traveling to the Breslin Center this season, that matchup falls into the “should win” category as well.
Games the Spartans Will Need to Find a Fifth Gear
These three teams will create plenty of chaos inside the Breslin Center when they come to town.
These aren’t games the Spartans should be expected to lose by any means, and Michigan lands in this group because an in-state rivalry game is always going to require another level. Minnesota could easily slide into the “should win” category after Michigan State defeated the Gophers by 14 points on the road last season, but Minnesota has a roster capable of competing near the top of the conference.
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The Spartans will need to find that extra gear.
Michigan State lost to both Iowa and Michigan last season. Iowa beat the Spartans by 14 points, while Michigan won both meetings, including a victory in East Lansing.
Away Games
Games the Spartans Should Win
The Spartans should take care of business in these games, with the biggest asterisk attached to Illinois.
Michigan State should have a chip on its shoulder after Illinois upset the Spartans in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament last season. That loss ultimately knocked Michigan State outside of a top-five NCAA Tournament seed, costing the Spartans the opportunity to host first and second-round games at the Breslin Center.
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Games the Spartans Will Need to Find a Fifth Gear
These games will be among the toughest on Michigan State’s schedule, especially with all of them coming on the road.
Michigan is the only team the Spartans will face in a home-and-home series this season. Another battle with the Wolverines is always entertaining, but Michigan State will need to find an extra spark to earn a road win.
The Spartans lost to both Ohio State and Maryland last season despite playing those games in East Lansing, which shows just how difficult those road trips will be. Michigan State was able to hold off USC at the Breslin Center in one of the biggest wins of the season, helping set the tone for the Lady Spartans’ successful year.
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Now, MSU heads to Los Angeles to face both USC and UCLA.
Games the Spartans Will Need a Sixth Gear and a Turbo Boost
Speaking of UCLA.
The defending national champions didn’t lose a single Big Ten game last season and established themselves as the class of the conference. Michigan State will head to Los Angeles to take on the Bruins this year in what projects to be the toughest game on the schedule.
The Spartans won’t just need another gear.
They may need a miracle.
The Michigan State season isn’t as far away as many think, and the team is right around the corner from returning to television screens across the country. For now, all that’s left to do is rank the matchups, debate the schedule, and get ready for what should be another exciting season under Fralick.
