State Farm® Champions Classic Returns to New York in 2025

 

Marquee men’s college basketball doubleheader featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State will be played at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18, 2025

ESPN Events’ State Farm Champions Classic season-opening men’s college basketball event featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 18, 2025.

The neutral site doubleheader returns to the venue where it debuted in 2011. The State Farm Champions Classic was also played at Madison Square Garden in 2016, 2019 and 2021. The 2025 event will feature Kansas vs. Duke and Kentucky vs. Michigan State.

On November 12, 2024, the 14^th annual State Farm Champions Classic will feature Michigan State facing No. 1 Kansas at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by No. 7 Duke taking on No. 23 Kentucky at 9 p.m. at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

State Farm has been the title sponsor of the Champions Classic since the inaugural doubleheader in 2011.

Tickets for the 2025 State Farm Champions Classic will go on sale in the fall. Fans can sign up for first access through the event pre-sale at https://espnevents.com/champions-classic/pre-sale-sign-up.

State Farm Champions Classic History:

• The event features three of the top four all-time winningest men’s college basketball programs: Kansas (first), Kentucky (second) and Duke (fourth), while Michigan State has made 26 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, the second-longest active streak in Division I.

• Since the Champions Classic began in 2011, all four teams have reached the Final Four at least once, with Kentucky (2011-12), Duke (2014-15) and Kansas (2021-22) winning national titles.
• The four participating programs have combined for 19 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships (since 1939): Kentucky (eight), Duke (five), Kansas (four) and Michigan State (two).
• A total of 69 NBA first round draft selections have played in the State Farm Champions Classic, or an average of 5.3 first-rounders every year.
• All-time team records in the State Farm Champions Classic: Duke 8-5, Kansas 8-5, Kentucky 5-8, Michigan State 5-8.

About ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.

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Media Contacts:

Charley Green, Champions Classic – [email protected]

Danny Chi, ESPN – [email protected]