Michigan State vs North Dakota State: NCAA Tournament 2026 – Time, TV & Location

The Michigan State Spartans will face the North Dakota State Bison in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 19, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, with tip-off scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Eastern Time.

This marks Michigan State’s 28th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, extending a Big Ten record and tying the longest streak in NCAA history, shared with Kansas, according to Michigan State University Athletics. Head Coach Tom Izzo is leading the Spartans in his 28th tournament appearance.

Michigan State (25-7 15-5 in the Big Ten Conference) is a No. 3 seed in the East Region, while North Dakota State is a No. 14 seed. The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to play the winner of the contest between No. 6 seed Louisville and No. 11 seed South Florida on Saturday, March 21.

The game will be televised nationally on TNT, with Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, and Allie LaForce providing commentary. Fans can also listen to the game on the Spartan Sports Network, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM, as well as on SiriusXM channels 203 or 210 and the SiriusXM app. Will Tieman will handle play-by-play, with Matt Steigenga as the color analyst and Zach Surdenik as the studio host.

North Dakota State enters the tournament with a 14-seed, facing a significant challenge against the Spartans, who are ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press and ESPN Coaches polls as of March 16.