When Was the Last Time Michigan State Missed the NCAA Tournament?

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

Thanks to a late-season resurgence and a few major victories down the stretch, the Michigan State Spartans have put themselves back into the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth.

However, for a program with the success and pedigree as Michigan State, 'on the bubble' never seems to apply at this point in March. Yet, that's exactly where head coach Tom Izzo and his 2021 squad have found themselves with a 15-11 record heading into the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 9 seed.

When Was the Last Time Michigan State Missed the NCAA Tournament?

Michigan State hasn't missed the NCAA March Madness Tournament since the 1996-97 season, when Izzo's Spartans finished with a 9-9 Big Ten record and a 17-12 overall record.

For a program as historically successful in so many aspects of college basketball as Michigan State, missing the tournament has become a pure rarity. However, as we've seen this season, it's still not entirely out of the question.

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