ESPN Events’ State Farm Champions Classic season-opening college basketball event featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State has been renewed for three more years through 2025 with the four participating programs. The neutral site doubleheader that debuted in 2011 and features four of the most accomplished programs in the history of the sport will continue to rotate among New York City (2021), Indianapolis (2022) and other sites, with the 2023-25 venues to be announced at a later date.
“The State Farm Champions Classic has been a staple of the college basketball landscape for the past decade with four of the sport’s marquee programs annually ushering in the start of the season in primetime on ESPN,” said Clint Overby, vice president, ESPN Events. “We are excited to continue to work with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State to extend this event for another three years as we build on the outstanding tradition of the Champions Classic.”
Tonight’s 11th annual State Farm Champions Classic will feature No. 3 Kansas facing Michigan State at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by No. 9 Duke vs. No. 10 Kentucky at 9:30 p.m., at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The second game will mark the start of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski‘s 42nd and final season with the Blue Devils.
State Farm has been the presenting sponsor of Champions Classic since the inaugural doubleheader in 2011.
Future Champions Classic Matchups
2022 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Kentucky vs. Michigan State
Duke vs. Kansas
2023*
Michigan State vs. Duke
Kansas vs. Kentucky
2024*
Kansas vs. Michigan State
Kentucky vs. Duke
2025*
Michigan State vs. Kentucky
Kansas vs. Duke
* 2023-25 sites TBD
History
- Champions Classic games annually rank among the most-viewed college basketball games of the season. The 2019 event averaged 2.3 million viewers on ESPN (the last time both games were played at Madison Square Garden).
- The event features three of the top four all-time winningest men’s college basketball programs: Kentucky (first), Kansas (second) and Duke (fourth), while Michigan State has made 23 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) and Duke (2014-15) winning national titles.
- The four participating programs have combined for 18 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships (since 1939): Kentucky (eight), Duke (five), Kansas (three) and Michigan State (two).
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
About State Farm®:
For 100 years, the mission of State Farm has and continues to be to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its 19,300 agents and nearly 55,000 employees serve approximately 86 million policies and accounts – which includes auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 39 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
