Arkansas and Michigan State will square off on Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit this November, the schools announced Tuesday.
It’s not particularly big news. Word of this had trickled out some time ago that it was a done deal and the announcement Tuesday made it official.
The matchup is the headliner of the 2026 CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic, and it’s set to air nationally on The CBS Television Network with a simulcast stream on Paramount+. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
It’s the third straight year CBS Sports has put a Thanksgiving college basketball game on the air, and the Hogs are becoming a fixture in that slot.
The 2024 edition brought Arkansas and Illinois together and drew 5.1 million viewers. Last year’s matchup between the Razorbacks and Duke pulled in 6.81 million viewers, the most-watched regular-season college basketball game since 1993.
Both fan bases are already circling the date. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 1, but fans can get early access through a one-day presale the day before by registering at DetroitHoops.com/tickets.
Travel packages that bundle game tickets with downtown Detroit hotel rooms are set to become available in August, giving supporters a chance to secure accommodations before the public sales window opens.
More details on travel packages can be found at DetroitHoops.com/travel.
Chicago-based sports marketing agency Intersport will manage the event. The company has run events across basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball and has maintained an office in Detroit in addition to its Chicago headquarters since 1985.
What’s at stake for loaded Arkansas team
The Razorbacks come into the new season with momentum built off a 28-9 finish and a SEC Tournament championship in John Calipari’s second year leading the program.
Those 28 wins tie the 2021-22 squad for the most victories in a single season since the 1994-95 team went 32-7 and reached the national championship game.
Arkansas is adding firepower to an already experienced roster.
The Hogs signed one of the country’s premier recruiting classes, which includes top-30 prospects Jordan Smith Jr. at No. 2, JJ Andrews at No. 12, Abdou Toure at No. 26 and Miikka Muurinen at No. 55 nationally.
Starter Billy Richmond is back, and the program added transfers Jeremiah Wilkinson from Georgia and Cooper Bowser from Furman.
Multiple preseason outlets already have Arkansas in the top 15, with CBS Sports’ Way Too Early Top 25 and 1 placing the Hogs at No. 11.
Calipari talked about what the Thanksgiving platform has meant to the program and what this particular matchup represents heading into another SEC title push.
“We are grateful for the opportunity CBS is affording us by playing on Thanksgiving Day for a third straight year,” Calipari said. “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.”
Michigan State brings its own résumé to game
The Spartans aren’t coming in short on credentials either.
Tom Izzo’s team finished 27-8 last season, reached the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the third time in four years and placed second in the Big Ten.
Jeremy Fears, a first-team All-Big Ten pick and two-year starter, is among the returning contributors.
So are starters Jordan Scott and Coen Carr. Michigan State’s incoming recruiting class ranks No. 3 nationally and adds four-star prospects Julius Avent, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr. and Ethan Taylor.
CBS Sports’ Way Too Early rankings have the Spartans at No. 5, four spots ahead of the Razorbacks.
Izzo said the Detroit setting and the profile of the opponent made this one easy to commit to.
“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. These are the types of games that will help both teams down the road.
“To play a team like Arkansas in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Lions, will make for a great day for sports fans in our state and for college basketball.”
Brief but familiar series heads into a fourth chapter
This’ll be the fourth time the two programs have met all-time and the second in back-to-back seasons. Michigan State holds a 3-0 edge in the series.
The Spartans won the first meeting in November 1991 at a tournament in Maui and picked up win No. 2 in 1995 in Auburn Hills.
Most recently, Michigan State beat Arkansas 69-66 on Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
That recent loss gives Arkansas something to settle, and the Thanksgiving stage provides a high-profile opportunity to flip the script before conference play kicks in.
Key takeaways
- Arkansas and Michigan State meet Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic, with tip-off set for 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+
- The Hogs are playing in the CBS Thanksgiving slot for a third straight year; last year’s Arkansas-Duke matchup pulled 6.81 million viewers, the most-watched regular-season college basketball game since 1993
- General public ticket sales open Oct. 1, with presale access available Sept. 30 to fans who register at DetroitHoops.com/tickets
