Michigan State and Michigan to play on Jan. 5 and Feb. 8 this season

After waiting until the final two weeks to square off last season, Michigan State and Michigan will waste no time in rekindling their rivalry on the basketball court in 2019-20.

The Big Ten released its schedule on Friday and the Spartans and Wolverines will get after it just after the first of the year as Michigan State hosts Michigan at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Jan. 5. Michigan State then heads to Crisler Center to take on Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 8.

No tip-off times have been set, but the dates are a significant shift from last season, when the rivals played twice in the final two weeks of the season. Michigan State won both games to win the Big Ten regular-season championship, then beat Michigan a third time a week later in Chicago to win the conference tournament title.

Michigan State, which likely will be the No. 1 team in the nation after reaching the Final Four last season, opens Big Ten play against Rutgers on Dec. 8 at home. The Spartans will then play Oakland at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 14 before traveling to Northwestern on Dec. 18 to finish its early conference slate. Michigan State picks up Big Ten play again on Jan. 2 against Illinois, the first of three straight home games.

Michigan, which reached the Sweet 16 last season after losing in the national championship game the season before, starts Big Ten play at home on Dec. 6 against Iowa. The Wolverines will then travel to Illinois on Dec. 11 to finish their early conference games before pickup up again with the trip to East Lansing on Jan. 5.

Michigan State’s non-conference schedule features a meeting with Kentucky in the Champions Classic, a potential matchup with Kansas in the Maui Invitational, a matchup with Seton Hall in the Gavitt Games and a showdown at home with Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Michigan’s non-conference schedule also has its share of highlights. The Wolverines will face Creighton in the Gavitt Games before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis with the likes of Iowa State, Alabama and North Carolina in the field. Michigan will also head to Louisville on Dec. 3 for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and host Oregon on Dec. 14.

Michigan State schedule

Tuesday Oct. 29, Albion (exhibition)

Tuesday Nov. 5, Kentucky (Champions Classic), at New York

Sunday Nov. 10, Binghamton

Thursday Nov. 14, at Seton Hall (Gavitt Tipoff Games)

Monday Nov. 18, Charleston Southern

Monday Nov. 25, Virginia Tech (Maui Invitational)

Tuesday Nov. 26, Dayton or Georgia (Maui Invitational)

Wednesday Nov. 27, TBD (Maui Invitational)

Sunday Dec. 8, Rutgers

Tuesday Dec. 3, Duke (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

Saturday Dec. 14, Oakland, at Detroit

Wednesday Dec. 18, at Northwestern

Saturday Dec. 21, Eastern Michigan

Sun. or Mon. Dec. 29-30, Western Michigan

Thursday Jan. 2, Illinois

Sunday Jan. 5, Michigan

Thursday Jan. 9, Minnesota

Sunday Jan. 12, at Purdue

Friday Jan. 17, Wisconsin

Thursday Jan. 23, at Indiana

Sunday Jan. 26, at Minnesota

Wednesday Jan. 29, Northwestern

Saturday Feb. 1, at Wisconsin

Tuesday Feb. 4, Penn State

Saturday Feb. 8, at Michigan

Tuesday Feb. 11, at Illinois

Saturday Feb. 15, Maryland

Thursday Feb. 20, at Nebraska

Tuesday Feb. 25, Iowa

Saturday Feb. 29, at Maryland

Tuesday March 3, at Penn State

Sunday March 8, Ohio State

Michigan schedule

Friday Nov. 1, Saginaw Valley State (exhibition)

Tuesday Nov. 5, Appalachian State

Tuesday Nov. 12, Creighton (Gavitt Games)

Friday Nov. 15, Elon

Friday Nov. 22, Houston Baptist

Wednesday Nov. 27, Iowa State (Battle 4 Atlantis)

Thursday Nov. 28,  Alabama or North Carolina (Battle 4 Atlantis)

Friday Nov. 29, TBD (Battle 4 Atlantis)

Tuesday Dec. 3, at Louisville (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

Friday Dec. 6, Iowa

Wednesday Dec. 11, at Illinois

Saturday Dec. 14, Oregon

Saturday Dec. 21, Presbyterian

Sunday Dec. 29, UMass Lowell

Sunday Jan. 5, at Michigan State

Thursday Jan. 9, Purdue

Sunday Jan. 12, at Minnesota

Friday Jan. 17, at Iowa

Wednesday Jan. 22, Penn State

Saturday Jan. 25, Illinois

Tuesday Jan. 28, at Nebraska

Saturday Feb. 1, vs. Rutgers (Madison Square Garden)

Tuesday Feb. 4, Ohio State

Saturday Feb. 8, Michigan State

Wednesday Feb. 12, at Northwestern

Sunday Feb. 16, Indiana

Wednesday Feb. 19, at Rutgers

Saturday Feb. 22, at Purdue

Thursday Feb. 27, Wisconsin

Sunday March 1, at Ohio State

Thursday March 5, Nebraska

Sunday March 8, at Maryland