Alan Haller Vice President/Athletic Director | Michigan State Spartan Athletics Website
Alan Haller Vice President/Athletic Director | Michigan State Spartan Athletics Website
Michigan State University's men's basketball team commenced its 10-day Foreign Tour on Tuesday afternoon. Following an overnight flight, the team arrived in Madrid, Spain, at noon on Wednesday.
Head Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans will spend three days in Madrid before traveling to Valencia and then Barcelona. During their time abroad, MSU is scheduled to play three games—one in each city. The first game will take place on Thursday, Aug. 15, in Madrid, followed by games in Valencia on Aug. 18 and Barcelona on Aug. 20.
The trip aims to foster team bonding and camaraderie both on and off the court.
On Day One of their journey, the team departed from the Breslin Center at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday and cleared security at Detroit Airport by 4 p.m., boarding a flight to Amsterdam at 6:30 p.m. Upon arrival at Amsterdam International Airport around 8 a.m., they proceeded through customs for a connecting flight to Madrid at 9:30 a.m.
Highlighting Head Coach Tom Izzo's international recognition, a flight attendant from Grosse Pointe identified him during transit, leading to a group photo opportunity with the team.
The Spartans landed in Madrid around noon local time and traveled by bus to Las Ventas Bullring in central Madrid. Their tour guide Ernesto provided insights into bullfighting history specific to Spain and Madrid. Opened in 1931 with a seating capacity of 23,798, Las Ventas is Spain's largest bullfighting ring and ranks as the third-largest globally after venues in Mexico and Venezuela.
Ernesto explained that bullfighting season spans September through October with daily events during San Isidro Fiesta and weekly fights every Sunday throughout the season. Each event typically lasts two to three hours featuring three bullfighters who challenge six bulls (two per fighter).
En route to their hotel via bus tour of Madrid, Ernesto mentioned that Las Ventas also serves as a concert hall during its offseason; notably hosting performances by The Beatles—their only show ever held in Spain—as well as Metallica and MC Hammer.
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