Men's basketball coach Tom Izzo being introduced during the Michigan State Madness event at the Breslin Center on Oct. 13, 2023. The teams came out in costumes and Izzo was dressed as Batman.
Michigan State men’s basketball is changing one of its annual preseason traditions.
Instead of a stand-alone Michigan State Madness event, Michigan State men’s and women’s basketball teams will hold an autograph session Oct. 10 at Munn field ahead of the football team’s game against Illinois.
The autograph session will run from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., with lines opening at 12:30 p.m. Fans will receive team posters of both programs, which will be the only items permitted for signing.
The Spartans open their exhibition schedule against the University of the Incarnate Word on Friday, Oct. 2, at Breslin Center, before the Izzone Campout continues on Munn field. Single-game tickets for Friday's exhibition will not be for sale. Izzone members and current season ticket holders will be sent tickets electronically.
The change comes as the NCAA allows three exhibition contests for the first time. In 2024 and 2025, MSU paired Michigan State Madness with the Izzone Campout. This season, the program is combining the Campout with its first exhibition game.
“This is the first year the NCAA has allowed three exhibition contests,” MSU Athletics spokesperson Matt Larson said. “Whereas for the last couple seasons we’ve combined Michigan State Madness and the Izzone Campout, this year we are combining the campout with the first of our three exhibitions.”
Men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo said the decision to move away from Michigan State Madness was "a little hard," but that the MSU community will be central to future decisions.
"I want the community to be involved with our players," Izzo said. "I want the little kids to get a chance to spend time with our guys, and we're getting everything so corporate now that we're missing the boat on the people who really matter and will be the future."
The Izzone Campout has been a preseason tradition for MSU men's basketball student season ticket holders since 1995. MSU combined it with Michigan State Madness in 2024. This year, the exhibition game will take the place of the traditional Madness event, with the Campout following at Munn field.
The change does not mean the basketball programs are abandoning a community event. Larson said the event will provide a shared community meet for both basketball programs.
“It is still important for the men’s and women’s programs to have a community touchpoint event,” Larson said. “The autographs on Oct. 10 serve as that touchpoint for both programs.”
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