The 2026-27 men's college basketball season is nine days old, going back to Notre Dame's win over Villanova in Rome on Nov. 1, but for many, the season will get going this week, when four of the biggest programs in the sport play one night and under one roof.
The 2026 edition of the Champions Classic will tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the United Center in Chicago, where No. 2 Duke will face off against No. 5 Michigan State and No. 14 Kansas will take on Kentucky.
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It's the 16th year for the event, which has featured the same four programs throughout its existence.
This year, much of the attention will fall on the first half of the doubleheader, when the Blue Devils and Spartans will go against
each other in a matchup of top-five teams in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Both teams have gotten to 2-0 records with ease, with Duke winning its games by a combined 85 points and the Spartans doing the same by a combined 67 points. Big man Patrick Ngongba II has lived up the immense preseason hype for Duke, averaging 19 points and eight rebounds per game in the first two games. Michigan State, meanwhile, will counter with Jeremy Fears Jr., who is averaging 12.5 points and 10 assists per game and is widely considered one of the top five players in the sport nationally.
Though it doesn't have quite the same appeal of its opening act, Kansas' matchup against Kentucky should serve as an interesting early season look between two historic powerhouses with extremely lofty expectations.
The Jayhawks and Wildcats have both taken care of business early on, with both teams winning their first two games, even though Kentucky dropped out of the Coaches Poll this week, going from No. 23 to the team receiving the most votes outside the top 25. Top-ranked freshman Tyran Stokes has been solid in his first two college games, but is third on the team in scoring, behind Tre White (15.5 points per game) and Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn (13 points per game). In a potential make-or-break third season for coach Mark Pope, Kentucky has been led thus far by prized transfer Milan Momcilovic, who is averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game.
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Champions Classic time today
06:01 PM ET, November 10 2026, Craig Meyer- Date: Tuesday, Nov. 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET ∣ 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: United Center (Chicago)
The Champions Classic will tip off with a matchup between No. 2 Duke and No. 5 Michigan State at 7 p.m. ET from the United Center in Chicago. It will be followed by a game between No. 14 Kansas and Kentucky that's slated for a 9:30 p.m. ET start, though it could be later based on how long the Blue Devils-Spartans game runs.
Between the two games, ESPN will unveil the latest rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee.
What TV channel is the Champions Classic on today?
06:01 PM ET, November 10 2026, Craig Meyer- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
Both games of the 2026 Champions Classic will air on ESPN. Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) will be on the call while Kris Budden will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Champions Classic live updates: Start time, TV, predictions for Duke-Michigan State, Kentucky-Kansas
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