NCAA BASKETBALL
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Little Caesars Arena
2645 Woodward Ave
Detroit, MI 48201
Opened: September 5, 2017
Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit. Opened on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), respectively.

The arena features a unique, clear plastic roofed concourse connecting it to offices and shops surrounding it. It was designed to be the flagship of a new $2.1 billion 650,000-square-foot sports and entertainment district, The District Detroit, with mixed-use neighborhoods with new residential and retail outlets located around the Cass Corridor, Ford Field, and Comerica Park.

The first regular season college basketball games held at Little Caesars Arena were played on December 16, 2017, with a doubleheader featuring the Michigan Wolverines playing the Detroit Mercy Titans, and the Michigan State Spartans playing the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.

As part of a contract carried over from Joe Louis Arena, Little Caesars Arena hosted the Horizon League's men's and women's basketball tournaments until 2019, under the blanket title Motor City Madness. Detroit began hosting the men's tournament at Joe Louis Arena in 2016 under a 5-year deal, and the women's tournament in 2017. The tournaments moved to Indianapolis for 2020.

Little Caesars Arena hosted first and second round games during the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy. Although the nearby Palace of Auburn Hills hosted preliminary rounds of the Tournament in 2013, this was the Tournament's first visit to Detroit since the city hosted the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field. The Tournament will return to the arena for the Midwest Regional in 2024. The Tournament was originally slated to return in 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were relocated.

On July 17, 2019, the Michigan State Spartans and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies announced a six-year deal that extended their series. The games will rotate between Little Caesars Arena and the Breslin Center. The first game was played at the arena on December 14, 2019, while the second game was played on December 21, 2021. The third and final game will be played in 2023.
Last 10 Games
Date Opponents Result
Dec 20, 2025Oakland @ Michigan State 0 - 0
Nov 11, 2025Wake Forest @ Michigan 84 - 85
Dec 17, 2024Michigan State @ Oakland 77 - 58
Mar 31, 2024Tennessee @ Purdue #66 - 72
Mar 29, 2024Gonzaga @ Purdue #68 - 80
Mar 29, 2024Creighton @ Tennessee #75 - 82
Dec 16, 2023Baylor @ Michigan State 64 - 88
Nov 11, 2022Eastern Michigan @ Michigan 83 - 88
Dec 21, 2021Oakland @ Michigan St. 78 - 90
Mar 12, 2019Northern Kentucky @ Wright State $77 - 66

# - 2023-24 NCAA Tournament
$ - 2018-19 Horizon League Conference Tournament