Thu Oct 23 22:10:00 UTC 2025: Summary:

The article discusses Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo’s scheduling of two Division I exhibition games to open the season, made possible by a recent NCAA rule change. This change allows teams to play two exhibition games per season without a waiver. One of these games sees the return of former Spartans point guard Tum Tum Nairn, now an associate head coach for Bowling Green. Izzo expresses some concern about the loss of opportunities for Division II schools to play in larger venues due to the shift towards D-I exhibitions. The article also touches on the Spartans’ previous summer trip to Spain and how the team is preparing for the upcoming season through scrimmages and veteran leadership.

News Article:

Nairn Returns to Breslin as MSU Opens Season with D-I Exhibitions

EAST LANSING – Michigan State basketball will tip off its season with two Division I exhibition games, a departure made possible by the NCAA’s recent rule change allowing two such contests per season. The Spartans will host Bowling Green on Thursday, October 23, before heading to Connecticut to face UConn.

The game marks a homecoming for former MSU point guard Tum Tum Nairn, who returns to Breslin Center as an associate head coach for Bowling Green. Nairn played under Izzo from 2014-18 and was a starter on the 2015 Final Four team.

“I was with Tum this weekend recruiting in Kansas City,” Izzo said. “I told him I loved him, gave him a little kiss on the head and said, ‘That’s it now until after the game.’”

The new NCAA rule replaces a system that required waivers and were usually paired with a purpose – like the 2017 charity exhibition game against Georgia to raise money for hurricane relief efforts. Izzo expressed a slight concern for D-II programs who could not get an opportunity to play in front of large crowds.

Coming off a 30-7 season and an Elite Eight appearance, the Spartans are looking to build on the foundation laid during a summer trip to Spain last year. With the absence of a similar trip this year, veteran players are emphasizing scrimmages and leadership to prepare the team’s younger members for the upcoming season.

Michigan State will kick off its regular season on November 3 against Colgate.

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