ESPN announces KU basketball’s opponent & site for the 2026 Champions Classic

The Champions Classic early season men’s college basketball event featuring Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke will be played at Chicago’s United Center on Nov. 10, 2026, ESPN announced Tuesday.

The neutral-site doubleheader returns to the United Center for the fifth time, tying Madison Square Garden for the most times playing host to the event.

The Champions Classic, sponsored by State Farm, was also held in Chicago in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2023. The 2026 event will feature Kansas vs. Kentucky and Michigan State vs. Duke.

KU will meet Duke in the 15th-annual Champions Classic at 8 p.m. Central on Tuesday at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Michigan State will take on Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. Central. Both games will be shown on ESPN.

All four teams are ranked in the AP poll: Duke at No. 5, Kentucky 12, Michigan State 17 and KU 24. KU will be without injured freshman guard Darryn Peterson for the game, coach Bill Self said Tuesday.

“College GameDay” returns to the event for the first time since 2019, broadcasting live from the Madison Square Garden floor at 5 p.m.

All-time team records in the State Farm Champions Classic: Kansas 9-5, Duke 8-6, Kentucky 6-8, Michigan State 5-9.

Tickets for the 2026 State Farm Champions Classic will go on sale in the fall. Fans can sign up for first access through the ESPN events website.

Gary Bedore

The Kansas City Star

816-234-4068

Gary Bedore covers KU basketball for The Kansas City Star. He has written about the Jayhawks since 1978 — during the Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Bill Self eras. He has won the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year award and KPA writing awards.