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Little Caesars Arena is being built by the Ilitch family, owners of the Red Wings, Tigers and Little Caesars Pizza, at a cost of $733 million, with a contribution from taxpayers in the downtown development district of $250 million.

(Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com)

ANN ARBOR -- A distinctly in-state collaboration of college hoops is expected to help open Little Caesars Arena with a bang.

As part of the arena's inaugural year, Michigan will face Detroit Mercy and Michigan State will face Oakland in a doubleheader early in the 2017-18 season, MLive has learned.

A joint press conference will be held on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Little Caesars Arena. The building, a 21,000-seat venue in midtown Detroit, is due to open in September.

The press conference will include Michigan coach John Beilein, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, Oakland coach Greg Kampe and Detroit Mercy coach Bacari Alexander, along with Tom Wilson, the president and CEO of Olympia Entertainment.

Details on the doubleheader will be unveiled at that time.

A press release for the event states all participants "will be in attendance to make a major college basketball announcement."

All involved will hope to return to Little Caesars Arena a few months after the double-header. The arena is set to host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games in March 2018

Michigan last played UDM in November 2014, posting a 71-62 win at Crisler Center. U-M leads the all-time series, 24-4, and has won 14 straight.

The two last played on a neutral court in Detroit in 1980. Michigan won, 85-72.

Michigan State has a longstanding series with Oakland -- or, more accurately, Izzo has a longstanding series with Kampe. The two have matched up 15 times since 1998, including four neutral court games. The Spartans are 15-0.

The last matchup on a neutral court was an overtime thriller in 2015. The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the country, survived 99-93 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

In the collegiate ranks, Little Caesars Arena is also scheduled to host the 2020 Frozen Four, games in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and the 2022 Division I wrestling championships.