Michigan State Final Four: How Many Times Have Spartans Made It?

Michigan State final four appearances

Getty Michigan State's Tom Izzo

The Michigan State Spartans are heading back to the Final Four after pulling off an impressive upset of the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight. While Tom Izzo’s squad were underdogs to Zion Williamson and company, they managed to overcome Duke’s talented core and continue their 2019 NCAA Tournament run.

With Cassius Winston and company getting the job done and knocking off Duke, the two-seed Spartans advanced to their 10th Final Four in history. They’ve won two national championships over that stretch and have a current streak of making the NCAA tournament which stretches 22 years.

Michigan State’s last appearance before 2018-19 came during the 2014-15 season, a year which they lost to the Blue Devils by a score of 81-61. Their victory over this year’s Duke team can be considered a bit of revenge, even if it took a few seasons to get it done.


Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament Appearances Under Tom Izzo

The iconic coach has been with the Spartans since the 1995-96 season and he’s led the team to the tournament in every year since 1997-98. Over the aforementioned 22-year stretch, Michigan State has been led to eight Final Fours by Izzo, including the most recent trip after their victory over Duke.

Of the first seven Final Fours which the Spartans made under Izzo, they went on to win the national championship once. Their lone victory under Izzo came in 1999-00 after the team posted a 32-7 record and defeated the Florida Gators in the title game by a score of 89-76.


Michigan State’s Impressive 2018-19 Final Four Run

Michigan State was more than deserving of the No. 2 seed they earned in the 2019 tournament but had a tough path in order to make it to the Final Four. After defeating 15-seed Bradley in the opening round, the Spartans knocked off Minnesota in the second. From there, they drew matchups against top-15 teams in the LSU Tigers and the popular title pick in Duke.

Izzo’s team knocked off LSU by 17 to make the Elite Eight and then took down a loaded Blue Devils team by a score of 68-67 to complete the run to the Final Four. They’ll meet the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a chance to play for the title.

The Spartans’ late-season run was impressive, to put it lightly. After losing three straight games from late-January through early-February, the team proceeded to win 14 of their next 15 games. This stretch included a Big Ten championship after they knocked off Ohio State and two top-25 teams in Wisconsin and Michigan.

READ NEXT: Ja Morant Over Zion Williamson NBA Draft Argument Goes Beyond Stats