The Michigan State women's basketball team will follow in the men's footsteps this year by participating in the 2024 Acrisure Classic. The Spartans announced on Monday afternoon they will be joining Arizona, California, and Vanderbilt in the field and face off against Cal in the first round.

MSU will take on Cal on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. The third-place game will be played on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET and the championship will follow at 4 p.m. ET.

The matchup against the Bears will mark just the third-time in series history between the two programs. The series is tied up at 1-1 and the meeting will be the first since 1996.

Cal finished last season 19-15 overall and 7-11 in conference play. The Bears bowed out of the Pac-12 Tournament in the second round, falling to Stanford. Cal then fell to Saint Joseph's in the second round of the WNIT to end its season.

Under first-year head coach Robyn Fralick, the Spartans finished the season 22-9 overall and 12-6 in league action. MSU earned a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, though the team fell to Nebraska in its opening game, and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Michigan State will return first-team All-Big Ten guard/forward Julia Ayrault and the Big Ten's Sixth Player of the Year, guard Theyrn Hallock.

The Acrisure Classic has expanded in 2024 to include a women's component. The inaugural event last year featured on-campus games for the MSU men's team versus Alcorn State and for Arizona's men's team versus UT Arlington before the Spartans and Wildcats met in Palm Desert on Thanksgiving Day. The men fell 74-68 despite a late surge.

"Sponsoring the Acrisure Series is a testament to our commitment to excellence and community engagement," said Acrisure's chairman and CEO Greg Williams. "We are thrilled to see the tournament expand in 2024, bringing fans from across the country to Acrisure Arena for an unforgettable celebration of top-tier college basketball. We are proud to play a hand in creating and growing this premier event on the basketball calendar."

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