Back to New York!
The premier early-season college basketball event will return to the bright lights of New York in 2025. The Champions Classic has announced that the 2025 matchups, featuring Kentucky vs. Michigan State, will take place in Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 18, 2025.
The neutral-site doubleheader, which also includes Duke and Kansas, began in 2011. This year’s event will see Kentucky face Duke at 9:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Nov. 12. Duke and Kansas will tip off at 7 p.m.
The event has traveled to New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Indianapolis during its 14-year tenure.
Kentucky and Michigan State last met in the event on Nov. 15, 2022, in Indianapolis, with the Spartans taking an 86-77 victory in double overtime. The last time the teams met in New York at Madison Square Garden, it was the No. 2 Wildcats upsetting the No. 1 Spartans by a 69-62 margin. All-time, UK leads the series 14-12. Kentucky won each of the last two meetings when the game was played in New York.
Tickets for the 2025 event will go on sale in the fall. Fans can sign up for first access through the event pre-sale here.