Tom Izzo is taking Michigan State basketball back to his alma mater, Northern Michigan, for a rare exhibition trip to Marquette on Sunday.

The Scarlet Knights are set to face the Spartans at Madison Square Garden in January, marking their second consecutive matchup at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Rutgers hosted Michigan State at the same venue in their last trip to the East Coast in February of 2023, defeating its visitors comfortably in front of a scarlet-clad crowd.

Those were just a few highlights of Michigan State’s first overseas trip in nearly a decade. The next journey of significant distance will mark the unofficial start of the season and is one coach Tom Izzo has been itching to pull off for a long time.