The Razorbacks and Spartans will meet at Little Caesars Arena on Thanksgiving afternoon
DETROIT (July 8, 2026) – The CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic returns to the menu this November as Arkansas and Michigan State square off on Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The game will be broadcast nationally on The CBS Television Network and available to stream live on Paramount+ at 4:30 PM ET.
Tickets for the event will go on sale starting October 1, with a one-day presale taking place the day prior. Fans can register for the ticket presale at DetroitHoops.com/tickets.
Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase official travel packages which will include game tickets and hotel accommodations in downtown Detroit near the venue. Fan travel packages are set to go on sale in August, allowing fans exclusive early access to secure their seats for the event ahead of the launch of public ticket sales. For more information visit DetroitHoops.com/travel.
Intersport, a sports marketing and events agency based in Chicago, will manage the game.
Both Michigan State and Arkansas enjoyed a successful 2025-26 college basketball season, each advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The expectations will only increase next season as both programs are consensus top-15 programs in various Way Too Early Top 25 rankings, with the Spartans No. 5 and the Razorbacks No. 11 in CBS Sports’ Top 25 and 1.
The Razorbacks finished the year 28-9 overall and won the SEC Tournament in John Calipari’s second season with the program. Their 28 victories match the 2021-22 team for the most wins since the 1994-95 Razorback squad that went 32-7 and reached the national final. The Razorbacks will add one of the nation’s elite recruiting classes, which includes top-30 prospects Jordan Smith Jr. (No. 2), JJ Andrews (No. 12), Abdou Toure (No. 26) and Miika Muurinen (No. 55). With the return of starter Billy Richmond, along with impact transfers Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia) and Cooper Bowser (Furman), Arkansas will eye another run at an SEC Championship.
“We are grateful for the opportunity CBS is affording us by playing on Thanksgiving Day for a third straight year,” said Calipari. “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.”
Last season, the Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the third time in the last four seasons, finishing the year with a 27-8 record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten. The Spartans are set to return a number of key contributors from last season’s squad, including first-team All-Big Ten standout and two-year starter Jeremy Fears. Along with returning starters Jordan Scott and Coen Carr, Michigan State will welcome the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class that includes four-star prospects Julius Avent, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr., and Ethan Taylor.
“I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena,” said Izzo. “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.”
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and second in as many seasons. The Spartans are 3-0 all-time against the Razorbacks, with the first two victories coming on neutral courts. Michigan State won the first game of the series, a November 1991 contest in Maui, and the second in 1995 in Auburn Hills. The Spartans defeated Arkansas on Nov. 8, 2025, 69-66, in an on-campus game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
The matchup between the Razorbacks and Spartans will mark the third-straight season CBS Sports will broadcast a Thanksgiving Day college basketball contest. In 2024, Arkansas faced Illinois in a game that averaged 5.1 million viewers, while last year’s Arkansas-Duke tilt averaged 6.81 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular season college basketball contest since 1993.
About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
About 313 Presents
313 Presents is Detroit’s premier live entertainment company. Inspired by the soul of Detroit, 313 Presents promotes and produces concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six world-class venues across southeast Michigan including Little Caesars Arena, the historic Fox Theatre featuring Proud Partner Comerica Bank, Comerica Park, Pine Knob Music Theatre Presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre Presented by Proud Partner Oakland University Credit Union and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. Headquartered in The District Detroit, 313 Presents is a joint venture between Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Pistons Sports & Entertainment. For additional information, visit 313Presents.com.
