ESPN’s State Farm Champions Classic Men’s Basketball Doubleheader Renews through 2019
Marquee event pits four of the nation’s best – Duke, Kansas, Kentucky & Michigan State
Returns to Chicago, Indianapolis & New York City
The State Farm Champions Classic – an early-season neutral-site doubleheader featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State – will continue through the 2019 season. The doubleheader, which began in 2011, will be played in Chicago (2017), Indianapolis (2018) and New York City (2019). The marquee matchups will continue to be the culminating games of ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon that provides more than 24 hours of consecutive basketball coverage to mark the start of the college basketball season.
“We are pleased to extend the Champions Classic for a new three-year term into the 2019 college basketball season,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president, ESPN Events. “This marquee event will continue to showcase four teams that represent the very best of college basketball and its rich history.”
This year’s sixth annual State Farm Champions Classic will be played on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, from Madison Square Garden in New York City featuring Kentucky vs. Michigan State (7 p.m.) and Duke vs. Kansas (9:30 p.m.). Tickets will go on sale in October, information to be announced at a later date.
Future Champions Classic Matchups
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 (United Center, Chicago)
- Kansas vs. Kentucky
- Duke vs. Michigan State
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018 (Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis)
- Michigan State vs. Kansas
- Duke vs. Kentucky
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 (Madison Square Garden, New York City)
- Kansas vs. Duke
- Michigan State vs. Kentucky
Team Notes
- Overall record in the Champions Classic: Duke 3-2, Kentucky 3-2, Michigan State 3-2 and Kansas 1-4.
- Three of the top four all-time winningest men’s college basketball programs: Kentucky (first – 2,205), Kansas (second – 2,186) and Duke (fourth – 2,087).
- A combined 18 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships (since 1939): Kentucky (eight), Duke (five), Kansas (three) and Michigan State (two).
- A total of 57 NCAA Final Four appearances (since 1939): Kentucky (17), Duke (16), Kansas (14) and Michigan State (10).
- A total of 31 players that participated in the Champions Classic were taken in the first round of the NBA Draft: 2012 (7), 2013 (4), 2014 (8), 2015 (8) and 2016 (4) from Kentucky (14), Duke (9), Kansas (5) and Michigan State (3).
Ratings
- Each year’s viewership has averaged 2.5 million viewers.
- The Michigan State vs. Kentucky game as part of the 2013 event was the most-watched Champions Classic with 4,002,020 viewers.
- The 2015 Kentucky vs. Duke game was the highest-rated matchup of the 2015-16 regular season with a 2.0 household rating.
Previous Results
| Year | City | Matchups |
| 2011 | New York City | Duke 74 vs. Michigan State 69
Kentucky 75 vs. Kansas 65 |
| 2012 | Atlanta | Michigan State 67 vs. Kansas 64
Duke 75 vs. Kentucky 68 |
| 2013 | Chicago | Michigan State 78 vs. Kentucky 74
Kansas 94 vs. Duke 83 |
| 2014 | Indianapolis | Duke 81 vs. Michigan State 71
Kentucky 72 vs. Kansas 40 |
| 2015 | Chicago | Kentucky 74 vs. Duke 63
Michigan State 79 vs. Kansas 73 |
For more information about the State Farm Champions Classic, visit the official website or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.