MSU’s Tom Izzo wants 2027 in Detroit to be ‘greatest Final Four ever’

Tom Izzo brought his Michigan State basketball team to downtown Detroit a day early for its game against Oakland, spreading some holiday cheer while giving away toys to kids in the city before practicing at Little Caesars Arena.

It also marked a chance for Izzo to reminisce about his memorable trip to the Final Four in 2009 and for Michigan State University to get a head start to tipping off the return of college basketball’s marquee event to Ford Field in a little less than 16 months.

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Izzo and athletic director J Batt took part in the unveiling of the logo for the 2027 Final Four on Friday, Dec. 19, at Ford Field. MSU is the host institution, which was announced in November 2022 and enters the home stretch for planning.

Tom Izzo, head coach of the Michigan State University men’s basketball team, left, and Dave Beachnau, CEO of the Detroit Local Organizing Committee, hold basketballs as they stand on stage in front of the newly unveiled logo for the 2027 NCAA Men’s Final Four inside Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.

“I hope we spend a year to trying to get this to be the greatest Final Four ever,” Izzo said Friday. “And if Michigan and Michigan State can find their way in it, that would be great. If they can’t, I’m still gonna be a big-time supporter for what you’ve done to bring basketball to our great city.”

Final Four games will be played April 3 and 5, 2027, but it will be a weeklong celebration of basketball in the Motor City. Mayor Mike Duggan, a U-M graduate whose alma mater is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, floated the idea of the two in-state powers making during his speech on the dais. Izzo took it even further.

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“I’d sign up for that tomorrow. That’d be the greatest,” said Izzo, whose team is No. 9 in the country and 10-1 in his 31st season. “You wanna throw Oakland in there? They were in the Sweet 16 a couple years ago – that would be fine with me. And if we…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/msus-tom-izzo-wants-2027-203603338.html

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Publish date : 2025-12-19 20:36:00

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