Arkansas And Michigan State Headline 2026 CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic At Little Caesars Arena November 26

(DETROIT – July 8, 2026) – The CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic returns to the menu this November as Arkansas and Michigan State square off on Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, November 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on The CBS Television Network and available to stream live on Paramount+.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, October 1 at 10 a.m. at 313Presents.com and Ticketmaster.com, with a one-day presale taking place Wednesday, September 30 at 10 a.m. Fans can register for the ticket presale at DetroitHoops.com/tickets.

Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase official travel packages including game tickets and hotel accommodations in downtown Detroit. Fan travel packages go on sale in August. For more information visit DetroitHoops.com/travel.

Both Michigan State and Arkansas enjoyed a successful 2025-26 college basketball season, each advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Both programs are consensus top-15 programs in various Way Too Early Top 25 rankings, with the Spartans No. 5 and the Razorbacks No. 11 in CBS Sports' Top 25 and 1.

The Razorbacks finished the year 28-9 overall and won the SEC Tournament in John Calipari's second season with the program. "We are grateful for the opportunity CBS is affording us by playing on Thanksgiving Day for a third straight year," said Calipari. "Last year, our Thanksgiving Day game on CBS was the most viewed college basketball game of the season, and one of the most-watched regular-season games in over 30 years. I have no doubt us playing Michigan State will match that."

Last season, the Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second weekend for the third time in the last four seasons, finishing the year with a 27-8 record. "I love any time we get a chance to play in Detroit and at Little Caesars Arena," said Izzo. "To play a team like Arkansas in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Lions, will make for a great day for sports fans in our state and for college basketball."

The matchup will mark the third-straight season CBS Sports will broadcast a Thanksgiving Day college basketball contest. Last year's Arkansas-Duke tilt averaged 6.81 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular season college basketball contest since 1993.