Champions Classic

Last updated
Champions Classic
Champions Classic Logo.png
Sport College Basketball
Founded2011
No. of teams4
Venue(s)Varies
TV partner(s) ESPN
Sponsor(s) State Farm
Official website https://espnevents.com/champions-classic

The Champions Classic is an event that tips off the NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It features four of the top college basketball programs in the United States: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. [1] The venue changes from year to year, with Madison Square Garden being the first venue. The first Classic was held on November 15, 2011. This would be the beginning of a three-year rotation, originally scheduled to end in 2013, where each of the teams would play each other once. The event is televised on ESPN. [2] The series is set to run through 2028. [3]

Contents

The series was started as an early-season match-up of the nation's best and most consistent basketball programs [4] as evidenced by the fact that all four teams have been ranked for every competition except on four occasions, Michigan State in 2011, 2021, 2022 and 2024. Only eight of the games played in the classic have been won by 10 or more points. The schools have combined for 9 National Championships, 37 Final Fours, and 21 National Championship game appearances since 1988. Three of the four teams from the 2014 event advanced to the 2015 Final Four (Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State) with Duke winning the National Championship that year. The 2019 games featured the schools ranked first, second, third, and fourth in both the AP and Coaches polls. [5] From 2017 to 2021, all four teams were coached by members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; Bill Self of Kansas was the last of the four coaches inducted in 2017, Mike Krzyzewski retired at the end of the 2021–22 season.

As of the conclusion of the 2024 games, Kansas has the best record in the Champions Classic at 9-5, followed by Duke at 8-6, Kentucky at 6-8, and Michigan State at 5-9. Each team has at least one victory over each team in the classic, and Kansas is the only team that does not have a losing record to one of the other three teams. Only once has a game gone into overtime, in 2022 when Michigan State defeated Kentucky. The most points scored was 118 by Duke in 2018, while the fewest was 40 by Kansas in 2014. The largest margin of defeat was 34 points when Duke defeated Kentucky 118–84 in 2018. The closest game was a Kansas victory over Duke by 2 points (77–75) in 2016.

Game results

Rankings are based on the Associated Press poll.

DateLocationWinning teamLosing teamAttendance
November 15, 2011 Madison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
No. 6 Duke 74 Michigan State 6919,979
No. 2 Kentucky 75No. 12 Kansas 65
November 13, 2012 Georgia Dome
(Atlanta, GA)
No. 21 Michigan State 67No. 7 Kansas 6422,847
No. 9 Duke 75No. 3 Kentucky 68
November 12, 2013 United Center
(Chicago, IL)
No. 2 Michigan State 78No. 1 Kentucky 7422,711
No. 5 Kansas 94No. 4 Duke 83
November 18, 2014 Bankers Life Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN)
No. 4 Duke 81No. 19 Michigan State 7119,306
No. 1 Kentucky 72No. 5 Kansas 40
November 17, 2015United Center
(Chicago, IL)
No. 2 Kentucky 74No. 5 Duke 6321,461
No. 13 Michigan State 79No. 4 Kansas 73
November 15, 2016Madison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
No. 2 Kentucky 69No. 13 Michigan State 4819,812 [6]
No. 7 Kansas 77No. 1 Duke 75
November 14, 2017United Center
(Chicago, IL)
No. 1 Duke 88No. 2 Michigan State 8121,684
No. 4 Kansas 65No. 7 Kentucky 61
November 6, 2018Bankers Life Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN)
No. 1 Kansas 92No. 10 Michigan State 8719,584
No. 4 Duke 118No. 2 Kentucky 84
November 5, 2019Madison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
No. 4 Duke 68No. 3 Kansas 6619,812
No. 2 Kentucky 69No. 1 Michigan State 62
December 1, 2020 Cameron Indoor Stadium a
(Durham, NC)
No. 8 Michigan State 75No. 6 Duke 690 b
Bankers Life Fieldhouse a
(Indianapolis, IN)
No. 7 Kansas 65No. 20 Kentucky 620 b
November 9, 2021Madison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
No. 3 Kansas 87 Michigan State 7418,132
No. 9 Duke 79No. 10 Kentucky 71
November 15, 2022 Gainbridge Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN)
No. 6 Kansas 69No. 7 Duke 6417,923
Michigan State 862OTNo. 4 Kentucky 77
November 14, 2023United Center
(Chicago, IL)
No. 9 Duke 74No. 18 Michigan State 6518,780
No. 1 Kansas 89No. 17 Kentucky 84
November 12, 2024 State Farm Arena
(Atlanta, GA)
No. 1 Kansas 77 Michigan State 6916,107
No. 19 Kentucky 77No. 6 Duke 72

Future match-ups

[8]

DateLocationMatch-ups
November 18, 2025 [9] Madison Square Garden
(New York, NY)
Kansas vs. Duke
Michigan State vs. Kentucky
2026TBA
Michigan State vs. Duke
Kansas vs. Kentucky
2027TBA
Kentucky vs. Duke
Kansas vs. Michigan State
2028TBA
Kentucky vs. Michigan State
Duke vs. Kansas

Head-to-head records

 DukeKansasKentuckyMichigan State
vs. Duke3–12–31–4
vs. Kansas1–32–32–3
vs. Kentucky3–23–22–2
vs. Michigan State4–13–22–2
Total8–69–56–85–9

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References

  1. Katz, Andy (December 8, 2010). "Marquee programs to meet early". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  2. "New Event Pits Four of Basketball's Winningest Programs". Duke Sports Information. December 8, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. "Champions Classic renewed through 2028-29 basketball season". Yahoo Sports. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  4. "This Champions Classic gives us the greatest opening night in the history of college basketball". CBSsports.com. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  5. "Reactions to the College Basketball Preseason AP Top 25 Poll: Is This the Best Champions Classic Ever?". Stadium. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  6. Champions Classic [@championclassic] (17 November 2016). "19,812 came out to see a great start to the college basketball season at @TheGarden. #ChampionsClassic" (Tweet) via Twitter./photo/1
  7. Crawford, Kirkland. "Michigan State basketball at Duke reportedly to play Dec. 1 in Champions Classic". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  8. DiCristoforo, Andrea. "State Farm® Champions Classic Extended Through 2028". ESPNPressRoom.com. ESPN.
  9. "State Farm Champions Classic Returns To New York In 2025". ESPNEvents.com. ESPNEvents. October 12, 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.