ESPN, Michigan State extend Champions Classic deal through 2028
ATLANTA – Michigan State will be part of the State Farm Champions Classic for the next four years, ESPN announced via press release on Tuesday. The announcement details plans for a three-year extension of the current contract.
Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke and Kansas have signed on to be part of the annual event through 2028.
The neutral site doubleheader will continue to rotate matchups so that Michigan State will get a game against each of the three other participants through the course of the contract.
Next year, Michigan State will play Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic, which will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Sites of the following three State Farm Champions Classics, from 2026-28, were not announced. Previous venues have included Madison Square Garden in New York City, the United Center in Chicago, Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the Georgia Dome and State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Michigan State will play No. 1-ranked Kansas Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) in this year’s State Farm Champions Classic.
“Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State represent the very best within the sport of college basketball,” ESPN Events Vice President Clint Overby said via press release on Monday. “Their records, traditions and championships all speak for themselves. We are proud to continue our partnership with the State Farm Champions Classic and these four programs.”
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“Playing in the Champions Classic at the start of the college basketball season has been one of the best events for our sport, and for Tom Izzo and Michigan State too. Getting the chance to play with three of the premier programs in college basketball is something we look forward to every year. It’s an event that I cherish and will never take for granted. It’s great to know our fans and 600,000 living alumni can keep the Champions Classic locked into their calendars through 2028.”
Michigan State will play Duke in 2026, Kansas in 2027, and Kentucky in 2028.
Said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo: “Playing in the Champions Classic at the start of the college basketball season has been one of the best events for our sport, and for Tom Izzo and Michigan State too. Getting the chance to play with three of the premier programs in college basketball is something we look forward to every year. It’s an event that I cherish and will never take for granted. It’s great to know our fans and 600,000 living alumni can keep the Champions Classic locked into their calendars through 2028.”
RELATED: Michigan State vs Kansas Preview, with Izzo quotes.
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State Farm has been the title sponsor of the Champions Classic since the inaugural doubleheader in 2011.
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 26 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, the second-longest active streak in Division I.
