DETROIT – A heavyweight showdown comes to the Motor City when Michigan State battles Baylor in a likely top-25 matchup Saturday, Dec. 16 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit as announced today by promoter bdG Sports. The event, entitled the Continental Tire Motor City Invitational, will be broadcast live in prime time on FOX.
Michigan State will enter the new season projected as a national championship contender with three returning starters and a lauded incoming recruiting class featuring three top-50 players. The Spartans will be paced by their returning leading scorer Tyson Walker (14.8 points) and incoming freshman Xavier Booker, a McDonald’s All-American last season.
“Any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena, I’m excited for that opportunity,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “Spartan fans in Detroit have always come out to support us and it’s a tremendous arena for college basketball. We’re excited to play a great team like Baylor in what should be a great day for the city and our sport.”
Michigan State finished the 2022-23 season with a 21-13 overall record, including an 11-8 mark in the Big Ten Conference, and played in its 25th-consecutive NCAA Tournament, the second-longest active streak in Division I men’s basketball. The Spartans advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time under Izzo.
Baylor is reloading after an impressive run over the past three seasons that has seen the Bears achieve the third-highest win percentage in college basketball (.796 overall which is best among Power-5 programs) and the 2021 National Championship. The Bears will be bolstered by a top-10 recruiting class headlined by McDonald’s All-American Ja’Kobe Walter and top-100 prospects Miro Little and Yves Missi. Jalen Bridges, Caleb Lohner, and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua lead a strong group of returners.
“We have the same non-conference scheduling philosophy as Michigan State,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. “We want to play the best in the country to prepare ourselves for conference play. We have tremendous respect for Michigan State, and all Coach Izzo has accomplished with his program. Playing a game like this in an NBA arena will undoubtedly make us a better team and be a great experience for our team.”
Tickets for the game start at $30 and go on public sale on Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com and on the Ticketmaster app. Complete event information can be found at www.motorcityinvitational.com and on social media at @bdGlobalSports.com.
As a corporate supporter of college athletics across the country, including partnerships with both Michigan State and Baylor, Continental Tire is a natural fit to title one of the biggest games in college basketball this coming season.