Michigan and Michigan State fans eager for NCAA Tournament runs
The Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans are going dancing after both secured spots in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
They narrowly missed playing each other for a third time this season in the Big Ten Tournament final, but there's still a chance for them to face off again, this time with everything on the line.
The Michigan Wolverines might be one of the most improved teams in the country coming off a Big Ten Tournament championship under first-year head coach Dusty May, while the Michigan State Spartans head to the big dance for the 27th year in a row coming off a Big Ten regular season championship.
This rivalry has already given us its fair share of drama, but that could reach a whole new level if either of these teams has a chance to knock off their biggest basketball rival in this year's Elite Eight.
January, February, and Spartan fans know what comes next: Tom Izzo.
The Hall of Fame coach surpassed the legendary Bobby Knight for the most all-time Big Ten conference wins this season en route to his NCAA record 27th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Spartan fans hope this historical season ends the same way it did 25 years ago, with a championship.
"It's only a matter of time before he wins again, and I think this is going to be the year he does it," said MSU graduate student Gene Garcia.
"MSU has a really good chance to go all the way to the Final Four in San Antonio. Since I've been here, it's the highest level I've seen them play at," said MSU senior Jerome Hamilton Jr.
It's "May Madness" in Ann Arbor as May led the Michigan Wolverines to a Big Ten Tournament championship following one of the worst seasons in program history. There's some frustration among fans after the team only earned a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"I think they probably deserved a little bit better for winning the tournament. If you win a conference championship, then you'd think they'd get better than that," said U of M senior Miles Brown.
The Spartans took both of the regular season matchups in this rivalry, and both teams gave a little bit extra during a midcourt scuffle on MSU's Senior Night. The two could tip off for a third time in this year's Elite Eight, and fans say they'd love to send their rivals packing while booking their tickets to the Final Four.
"If history has anything to prove, Michigan tends to beat Michigan State in quite a few things, so we're pretty confident," said Michigan student Alec Hardy.
"First of all, I don't think Michigan is going to get that far, but if they do, I think it will be great for the state, great for the rivalry," Garcia said.
"It's going to be a matchup for the ages if we end up crossing paths in the tourney," Hamilton said.
"That would be up there with us winning football's national championship for me," Brown said.
Before either of these teams has an opportunity to knock off their biggest rival in the Elite Eight, both need to make it past the first three rounds. The Wolverines open up the tournament against 12-seed UC San Diego on Thursday, while the Spartans face 15-seed Bryant on Friday.
