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Following a pair of tune-up contests against Fordham and Middle Tennessee State to open the 2026-27 campaign, Kansas will head to the United Center in Chicago to compete in the 16th annual Champions Classic. This year, the Jayhawks will face off vs. a Kentucky team that is looking to bounce back in Mark Pope’s third year at the helm.
On Wednesday, the event revealed tip-off information for both games being played. Duke and Michigan State will begin at 6 p.m. CT, while Kansas and Kentucky are set to start at 8:30 p.m. CT.
The Champions Classic, which began in 2011, is a yearly event that shuffles opponents among four of the most legendary college basketball programs. Since the event’s inception, Kansas holds a 3-2 record over the Wildcats and will look to build on that winning record when they meet again.
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Last year, the event was played in Madison Square Garden in New York City, and it took place in State Farm Arena in Atlanta the year prior. When the two schools last met on the hardwood, it also occurred in the United Center, where the Jayhawks got the best of UK 89-84 in the third game of the Hunter Dickinson era.
Kentucky’s roster features some familiar faces for Jayhawk fans. Pope’s most lauded addition of the offseason was Milan Momcilovic, a Serbian sharpshooter who’s tormented the Jayhawks the past few years at Iowa State. The Wildcats also boast Washington transfer Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG, 4.5 APG) and former Furman guard Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG).
Fans have an extra reason to tune in, as top-ranked freshman Tyran Stokes, who chose his college after a fierce offseason recruiting battle between KU and Kentucky, raises the intensity of this matchup to a whole new level.
This is the first time in Champions Classic history that Bill Self won’t be coaching against John Calipari, who is now at Arkansas. Pope lost to Michigan State last season and defeated Duke in 2024.
For those planning to make the eight and a half hour drive from Lawrence to Chicago, it’s…
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Publish date : 2026-09-24 11:00:00
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