Butler will travel to Michigan State as part of the 2023 Gavitt Tipoff Games, a unique early-season series played between the BIG EAST and Big Ten and named in honor of Hall of Famer Dave Gavitt, founder of the BIG EAST and basketball visionary.

The game in East Lansing, Mich., is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17.

Butler and Michigan State last met Nov. 17, 2021 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. That match-up, a win by the Spartans, was part of the Gavitt Games that season. Michigan State becomes the first opponent that Butler will play for a second time as part of the annual event.  

Only two current Bulldogs were part of that match-up 18 months ago: John-Michael Mulloy and Pierre Brooks II. However, Brooks was on the Michigan State roster at the time before transferring to Butler for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

There are several additional connections between the two rosters and coaching staffs. The game also matches up Butler's Jahmyl Telfort and Michigan State's Tyson Walker, who were teammates at Northeastern during the 2020-21 season. Butler head coach Thad Matta is familiar with the Michigan State program and coach Tom Izzo from Matta's 13 seasons leading the Ohio State Buckeyes as the teams met annually in Big Ten play. Izzo's Michigan State roster included current Butler assistant coach Maurice Joseph during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
 
The BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences announced the eight matchups for the eighth annual Gavitt Tipoff Games Wednesday, May 24. The 2023 Gavitt Games run Nov. 13-17. All eight games will be televised on FS1. Game times will be announced at a later date. 
 
Butler is 2-3 in the Gavitt Games, with home wins over Minnesota (2019) and Northwestern (2016). The Bulldogs' losses have come at home to Michigan State in 2021 and on the road at Maryland (2017) and Penn State (2022).
 
Michigan State holds a slim 14-11 record in the all-time series between the two programs, one that stretches back to 1927. The most notable match-up came in the 2010 Final Four, a 52-50 Butler win over the Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Gordon Hayward led the Bulldogs with 19 points and nine rebounds in that game, a win that put Butler in the national championship game against Duke. Prior to the 2010 game, the two teams had not met since 1971.
 
The road contest in East Lansing is another exciting addition to Butler's 2023-24 schedule. The Bulldogs will also travel to take part in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando over Thanksgiving. That eight-team field includes six teams that were part of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
 
Season tickets for the 2023-24 Butler Basketball season are on sale now. The home schedule will feature an increase to 19 games this season, highlighted by all 10 BIG EAST rivals visiting Hinkle. Butler will also host Texas Tech Nov. 30 in the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, and the Pac 12's Cal comes to Indianapolis Dec. 9. The home schedule will begin with an exhibition game on Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 27-29).