Kansas, Kentucky Renew Champions Classic Rivalry

The programs’ latest matchup comes as the Champions Classic enters its 16th year. Kansas has won the teams’ last three meetings in the event, after Kentucky took the first two encounters. The game is among the showcase’s most anticipated nonconference contests, though Kentucky will have a different coach on the opposing sideline than in the teams’ previous meeting, in 2023.

Kentucky won 75-65 in 2011, then delivered a 72-40 rout in 2014. In that second loss, Kansas managed just 12 points after halftime. Both Wildcats teams later reached the Final Four; the 2011 squad beat Kansas in the national championship game.

Kansas earned its first Champions Classic victory over Kentucky in 2017, prevailing 65-61. Malik Newman’s late three-pointer and free throws helped seal the close game. The Jayhawks then edged Kentucky 65-62 in 2020, overcoming a 13-point deficit in a game played without spectators under pandemic restrictions.

The most recent meeting was a 2023 Kansas comeback. The Jayhawks erased a 14-point second-half gap to win 89-84, with Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris combining for 50 points. Tuesday’s game will decide whether Kansas extends its winning streak against Kentucky in the event or the Wildcats narrow the series gap.