Oakland University and Michigan State have agreed to a five-year deal to play each other in men’s basketball. The agreement will start next season, with the two teams meeting three times in East Lansing and twice at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

“This is a really, really great thing for Oakland University and basketball fans in Oakland County to have two home games with a national basketball power that happens to be from the state of Michigan,” said Oakland men’s basketball head coach and interim athletics director Greg Kampe. “It has to be pleasing for our fans and it will help us in our recruiting. Being able to get this agreement is another step for OU to be a player in the college basketball landscape. We hope to put 20,000 fans in the seats at the games in The Palace.”

Michigan State will host the first two games of the series at the Breslin Center, with the 2008-09 and 2010-2011 games hosted by Oakland at The Palace. The 2009-10 game also will be played in East Lansing. The Oakland home games at The Palace vs. the Spartans will be part of the OU season ticket packages for those seasons.

“Greg Kampe has done a great job with the Oakland program as evidenced by their trip to the NCAA Tournament last season,” said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. “There is a rich history between Michigan State and Oakland as universities, and it’s great that we can come to a basketball agreement that is beneficial to both programs. We look forward to having Oakland on the schedule for the next few seasons, including the opportunity to play at The Palace of Auburn Hills.”

For more information on OU men’s basketball, visit the OU Athletics Web site.