Champions Classic will not tip-off the 2022 college basketball season, per report

The Champions Classic may no longer serve as the opening event of the college basketball season.

Aside from the COVID-19 season, the traveling road show has served as the marquee opening night of the college basketball season since 2018, pitting Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State and Kansas against one another at a neutral site. Jeff Goodman reports that will not be the case in 2022. ESPN, the event’s organizers, will move the double-header back a week to Nov. 15, eliminating a conflict with Election Day. This move may not be temporary.

“There’s also a chance this could be more than a one-year switch and could stay the second week of the season instead of opening the college hoops campaign,” Goodman said.

The move would likely benefit Kentucky. The Wildcats have won just once when the Champions Classic served as the season-opener. A one-week delay would give John Calipari’s team two or three more games to develop chemistry prior to the marquee matchup. Conservatively estimating, about 95% of Kentucky fans believe UK would win a rematch with Duke today.

Kentucky is scheduled to play Michigan State in the 2022 Champions Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Wildcats are 2-1 against the Spartans in the event, 5-6 overall in the neutral site showdown that was first played in 2011. The four storied college basketball programs are all signed on to continue playing the double-header through 2025.