The 2020-2021 College Basketball season is underway and things are heating up tonight with a pair of games from the 2020 State Farm Champions Classic. Established in 2011, the Champions Classic is a pair of games between four of the most storied universities in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball history. Tonight’s event will see a couple of 2017 rematches as #8 Michigan State Spartans (2-0) take on the #6 Duke Blue Devils(1-0) in what is sure to be a competitive matchup. While game 2 will be between #7 Kansas Jayhawks (1-1) and #20 Kentucky Wildcats(1-1) with both games streaming exclusively on ESPN.
There will be no fans in attendance at both games; however, we’ll tell you how you can watch all of the action below.
2020 State Farm Champions Classic – The Games and Tipoff
| Game | Tipoff | Location | Channel |
| #8 Michigan State Spartans vs. #6 Duke Blue Devils | 7:30 p.m. ET | Cameron Indoor Stadium (Durham, NC) | ESPN |
| #7 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #20 Kentucky Wildcats | 9:30 p.m. ET | Bankers Life Fieldhouse(Indianapolis, IN) | ESPN |
Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, the #6 Duke Blue Devils are looking to get their first win against a major opponent as they take on #8 Michigan State. In their 2017 matchup, the higher-ranked Blue Devils defeated the Spartans 88-81. Tonight, Duke has an added advantage of playing on their home court at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Fans will not be in attendance, so Michigan State will not have to worry about the Cameron Crazies. The Spartans are coming off two impressive victories over Eastern Michigan and Notre Dame. Duke’s lone win of the season so far was a 10-point victory over Coppin State after their game against Gardner Webb was postponed.
Live from Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the second game of the night will begin at 9:30 p.m. ET, as a pair of 1-1 teams face off. The #7 Kansas Jayhawks go head-to-head with the #20 Kentucky Wildcats. In their 2017 Champions Classic matchup, Kansas was the higher-ranked team and escaped with a 65-61 win. Kentucky is coming off of a 76-64 home court loss against the Richmond Spiders. Whereas, the Jayhawks lost against #1 Gonzaga 102-90 during the first week of the season in the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
How to watch
Cord cutters can watch the 2020 State Farm Champions Classic by subscribing to any streaming service that carries ESPN or by using the Watch ESPN app. Choosing from any of these subscription services below has its benefits because there are no hidden fees, you can cancel anytime with most offering a free trial for new subscribers.
- AT&T TV Now: Subscribers to the AT&TV Now can watch the 2020 State Farm Champions Classic on ESPN, and over 45 other channels for only $55/month with their Plus package. 500 hours of DVR is included so you won’t miss the highlights from tonight, and you can record your other favorite shows.
- Hulu + Live TV: For only $65/month, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to ESPN, the 2020 Champions Classic, over 65 channels, and access to Hulu’s large library of content including exclusive shows and movies. With 50 hours of Cloud DVR included you’ll be able to record all the dunks, and drama of tonight’s games.
- Vidgo: With a Vidgo subscription, you’ll get 60+ channels, including ESPN for watching tonight’s games, for $40. With Vidgo, you can watch on up to three devices simultaneously.
- fuboTV: Perhaps the best sports-orientated streaming service is fuboTV because subscribers can watch ESPN, the 2020 State Farm Champions Classic, over 130 events in 4K, and 110 channels, starting at $64.99/month. 250 hours of Cloud DVR means there is plenty of room to save your favorite events.
- YouTube TV: For $65/month, YouTube TV is a great service for watching ESPN, the 2020 Champions Classic, many more college basketball games, and over 85 other channels. With unlimited Cloud DVR storage, it’s the perfect place to record tonight’s games, sports analyst predictions, games from the upcoming season, and have the ability to come back to it at season’s end.
- Sling Orange: The Sling Orange package is only $30/month and it includes 10 hours of Cloud DVR storage. Sling is one of the most affordable services to watch and record the 2020 Champions Classic on ESPN, and it comes with over 30 other channels.
Our Prediction: Spartans and Wildcats pull off the unexpected with a pair of upsets.
Duke looked shaky against Coppin State and it would not be surprising to see Michigan State leave Cameron Indoor Stadium with a victory tonight. The Spartans have looked more impressive in their 2 double-digit wins this season as they defeated Notre Dame by 10 and Eastern Michigan by 16. The Spartans have never defeated Duke in the Champions Classic as they are 0-3 at the event, and with Duke having a 13-3 advantage all-time in head-to-head matchups. With no fans allowed in Cameron, this game is shaping up to be a historic night for the Spartans to pull off an improbable upset.
When speaking about tonight’s game during a press conference, Kentucky coach John Calipari had nothing, but praise for his opponents. ”They’ll fight. It’s going to be a hard game for us. We know it. Just like the Richmond game was a hard game. No fans.” Calipari and the Wildcats are 2-1 at the Champions Classic against Kansas. Be on the lookout for Coach Calipari’s young Wildcats team to pounce back against the Jayhawks tonight. Kentucky has a trio of future NBA draft picks led by Freshman guard BJ Boston. Universally recognized as one of the top 8 players in the country, Boston is coming off of a triple-double in their loss against Richmond and he’ll be a big factor if the Wildcats pull off the win tonight.