When: 6:30 p.m.
Where: USS Abraham Lincoln, off coast of San Diego, California.
TV: ESPN.
Game notes: It's the first marquee matchup of college basketball season, and the return of the Armed Forces Classic. The Spartans participated in the first of these back in 2011 against North Carolina. This year, Tom Izzo takes his team to the USS Abraham Lincoln to face Gonzaga, one of the early national title favorites.
The two programs are tied together by the late Jud Heathcote — the longtime MSU coach was also a longtime Zags fan as a Spokane, Washington, resident.