Dom Izzo, a TV and radio broadcaster from Fargo, North Dakota, will miss Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament opener in Buffalo due to a family commitment. The 3-seed Spartans face the 14-seed North Dakota State Bison in the East region first-round game on Thursday, March 19, but Dom Izzo (no relation to the coach) will not be in attendance. The broadcaster, who has worked in Fargo for nearly two decades and serves as sports director at WDAY-TV, has long sought to connect with Tom Izzo, the Michigan State head coach. Despite years of effort, Dom said he has never managed to meet the legendary coach. This year’s matchup, however, presented a unique opportunity. Dom, a native of Oswego, New York, expressed disappointment at the location, noting that Buffalo is 2½ hours from his hometown. “Not Buffalo, because Buffalo is literally 2½ hours from where I grew up,” he said. Dom’s absence is due to his wife’s scheduled surgery on Friday, which prevents him from traveling to Buffalo. Instead, he will stay local to care for her, while also covering Thursday’s NDSU women’s home game against Chattanooga in the WNIT. The Bison, with a 27-7 record, will face the Spartans, who enter the tournament with a 25-7 record, in a matchup that has drawn attention for its unusual pairing of teams. Dom’s attempts to meet Tom Izzo are not new. In 2009, when NDSU made its first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bison faced Kansas in Minneapolis, and Tom Izzo’s Spartans were also in the area. Dom tried to attend but couldn’t make the trip. A similar opportunity arose in 2019, when Tom Izzo led Michigan State to the Final Four in Minneapolis. Dom again struggled with logistics, unable to make the 3½-hour drive from Fargo.#tom_izzo #michigan_state #dom_izzo #ndsu_bison #wday_tv
