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October 22, 2012

Preseason Event Features the Best of the Best

State Farm Champions Classic Features Matchups between Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State

In its second year of a three-year event, ESPN will again present the State Farm Champions Classic on Nov. 13, 2012 featuring Michigan State taking on Kansas and Duke facing Kentucky at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Last year’s event took place at Madison Square Garden and featured Duke knocking off Michigan State (for Coach K’s record-breaking 903^rd win as a Division I coach) and Kentucky topping Kansas, which would end up serving as a preview to the national championship game a few months later. The Champions Classic is a three-year series featuring four of the winningest programs of all time in Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State.  The venue will change again in 2013, moving to the United Center in Chicago, IL.

• Three of the top four all-time winningest men’s college basketball programs: Kentucky (first), Kansas (second) and Duke (fourth);

• A combined 17 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships (since 1939): Kentucky (eight), Duke (four), Kansas (three) and Michigan State (two);

• A total of 24 NCAA Final Four appearances in the past 20 years: Duke (seven), Michigan State (six), Kansas (six) and Kentucky (five);

• Four teams currently ranked in the top 14 of the ESPN/USA Today poll: No. 3 Kentucky, No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 Duke and No. 14 Michigan State.