As college sports progress toward a future increasingly defined by money and short-term return on investment, the two coaches continue to swim against the current, prioritizing meaningful relationships for the benefit of their players and entire staffs.

Izzo and Kampe have combined to coach in their roles for more than 70 years, with no signs of slowing. The two share similar personalities, frequently finding themselves in heated disagreements with referees. And of course, they emphasize a players-first coaching style while continuing to find success through decades of college basketball.

Saturday afternoon marked the latest installment of MSU vs. Oakland, which went in the Spartans’ favor for the 23rd consecutive time with a 79-70 win in a physical game at Little Caesars Arena. For Izzo, though, the score and the streak matter less than what he and Kampe have built outside the lines.

The pair of Hall of Fame coaches has formed one of college basketball’s most beloved friendships, rooted in mutual respect and admiration.

Despite the pair’s longstanding relationship, Oakland and Michigan State operate on vastly different scales. Michigan State enrolls about 3.24 times as many students as Oakland, generates roughly 10.5 times more athletics revenue and pays its men’s basketball coach about 21.8 times more than Greg Kampe after MSU increased Izzo’s salary to $7.2 million.

Saturday, Izzo and Kampe returned with matching sweaters, adding to the yearly tradition. This year’s, brought by Izzo and his wife, Lupe, featured a cartoon of Izzo arguing with referees with the words “naughty list” written around it. Kampe’s sweater was similar but showed him smiling with officials, with “nice list” displayed.

“Every year, it’s the sweater thing for him, and I wanted to add the officials because I knew that would fire him up,” Izzo said. “Believe it or not, I hardly said a word to the officials today, and he was crazy. I absolutely love that, too. I appreciate that about him. He’s fighting for his guys, and rightfully so.”

Before Saturday’s game tipped off, Kampe shared a laugh with referees about the sweater. Much to his dissatisfaction, it did little to help with the whistles. After several tough foul calls throughout the night, Kampe flipped the script on the “nice list” sweater and ripped into officials early and often.

After MSU’s 11th win in 12 games, Izzo began his postgame press conference like any other. A minute or two later, Kampe barged through the doors behind him, and the two launched into an almost podcast-like conversation, with only a handful of questions coming from reporters. The coaches treated questions as conversation starters rather than black-and-white answers.

They discussed how their relationship has grown as college athletics undergoes major changes. While they agreed on much, both spent considerable time addressing how the transfer portal has fueled poaching across college basketball.

The two spoke about their experiences with coaches attempting to recruit their own players during the season. In recent years, Kampe said he has had multiple players transfer to larger, more recognized programs. Kampe’s longtime friend, Izzo, jumped in, saying he has called Oakland players and encouraged them to stay at Oakland.

“We are absolutely poaching our own players, and he better hear me when I say that because it is the truth, and it’ll never happen here, and I’m grateful for it, too,” Izzo said of coaches recruiting players from other teams.

Under Kampe, Oakland has won four Horizon League championships and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. He won the school’s first NCAA Tournament game in 2024 with an upset over Kentucky. Kampe owns a 721-562 record through more than 42 seasons, making him the longest-tenured coach in the NCAA, followed by Izzo in his 31st season.

Kampe has been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the American Basketball Hall of Fame and the Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame, where he competed as a two-sport athlete.

This season, Oakland has faced four teams ranked in the top nine of the AP Top 25. Though all were losses, Kampe said his team gained confidence and experience from those marquee matchups.

“Great coaches are going to win the coaching battle, they’re going to win the rebounding battle, and they’re going to make shots,” Kampe said. “On the nights they make shots, they can beat anyone in this country.”

One of Oakland’s greatest strengths this season has been its shooting and offense. Against MSU, the Golden Grizzlies posted their best shooting performance of the year, fueled by three players with two or more 3-pointers while shooting 45% from beyond the arc. Through Christmas, Oakland scores 83 points a game and shoots 35% from deep.

Ultimately, MSU found a way to physically outlast Oakland and pull away for the win. The Spartans out-rebounded the Golden Grizzlies 42-26 and continue to own the nation’s No. 2 rebounding margin.

The contest in downtown Detroit drew 15,789 fans from both MSU and Oakland, exceeding the Breslin Center’s capacity by more than 1,000. Izzo said he was surprised by the turnout and appreciates that the MSU vs. Oakland matchup has become a destination game.

“What I’m really thankful for and proud of is the crowds it draws,” Izzo said. “I want to thank all the Michigan State people who came. I’ve seen other games in this arena that weren’t even half of what we had today, and it filled in so nicely. There were a lot of Michigan State people, but there were a lot of Oakland people, too, and that’s what makes the game worth it.”

Junior forward Coen Carr scored a career-high 22 points, leading MSU physically while showcasing his talent on both ends of the floor. Senior forward Jaxon Kohler recorded his third consecutive double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The pair of MSU veterans has become accustomed to Izzo and Kampe’s bond.

“They always have their little sweaters going on and everything,” Carr said. “Just for them to have something like that is cool.”

Izzo described both teams as having a “blue-collar” coaching identity. Under their respective leaders, both programs pride themselves on toughness and figure to be remembered as among the game’s most respected.

Izzo and Kampe are both in the later stages of their careers, but their relationship figures to endure long after they retire.

“We’re kind of kissing each other’s tail little bit here, but it’s legit. It’s legit,” Izzo said. “It’s just a respect thing. I play all man-to-man. He plays all zone. There are two different ways to skin a cat, and he’s been very successful in what he does.”