Tom Izzo is returning to his alma mater for the first time in 30 years as head coach of the Michigan State Basketball.
Izzo will take his Spartans to the Upper Peninsula to face Northern Michigan in a preseason exhibition on Oct. 13 in Marquette (1 p.m.), the schools announced Thursday.
Izzo graduated in 1977 from Northern Michigan and grew up 90 minutes south of campus in Iron Mountain, on the Michigan-Wisconsin border.
“To say I am excited about the opportunity to bring my Michigan State team to play at Northern Michigan, my alma mater, would be a huge understatement,” Izzo said in a statement. “This is something we have wanted to try and do for a while and I think it will be a very special event. We are excited to bring our team to play at UP, and it will be great to play a game at the Superior Dome, one of the best venues in college athletics. I think this will mean a lot to people, not just in East Lansing, but especially to the great people of Marquette and the Upper Peninsula.”
The game will take place in NMU’s Superior Dome, recognized as the largest free-standing wooden dome in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. This will be the first college basketball action in the Dome, home to the 8,000-capacity Wildcats football team.
“I’ve always said I want my players to have moments that stick with them, from playing on an aircraft carrier or in the Champions Classic to having a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament,” Izzo said. I know they are excited to play in a place that is really special to me, and I think this will be a milestone for all of us.”
Izzo has coached against his alma mater six times in exhibitions, most recently on Oct. 30, 2018, a 93-47 victory at the Breslin Center.
MSU leads NMU in the all-time regular season series, 7-1, but hasn’t met since 1974 and ’75, when Izzo started at guard for the Wildcats. MSU won in 1975 at Jenison Field House, 81-65, with Izzo scoring nine points, with two assists and a rebound, block and steal in 32 minutes. The last time the Spartans visited northern Michigan in 1974a 91-59 MSU victory, with Izzo dishing out six assists.
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This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Michigan State will play Northern Michigan alma mater Tom Izzo
