Michigan State to host Notre Dame in basketball for the first time since 1974

EAST LANSING – Michigan State and Notre Dame will once again renew their rare rivalry in basketball this fall.

The Spartans will host the Fighting Irish as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The date and time will be announced at a later date.

MSU has never hosted the Fighting Irish in basketball at Breslin Center. The last time Notre Dame played in East Lansing was at Jension Field House on Feb. 4, 1974, a game which the Spartans lost, 91-89.

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The two programs, which have a storied football rivalry, have played 95 times in basketball. However, MSU and Notre Dame have met just once since the 1979 NCAA Tournament regional final. The Irish defeated the Spartans 79-78 in overtime on Dec. 3, 2014, which came about because of Notre Dame joining the Atlantic Coast Conference a year earlier in all sports but football.

MSU is 7-10 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge history, including 6-2 at Breslin Center.

Football updates: The Big Ten Network announced Tuesday that it will televise MSU’s game against Western Michigan on Sept. 9. It will be a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.

Here are the Spartans’ other games that have been announced: Sept. 9 vs. Bowling Green (noon, ESPNU); Sept. 23 vs. Notre Dame (8 p.m., Fox); and Oct. 21 vs. Indiana (3:30 or 4 p.m., TBD). The game against the Hoosiers is homecoming weekend in East Lansing.

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free onAppleandAndroiddevices!