The 2026-27 college basketball season is almost here, and we now know the tip-off time for one of Kentucky Basketball’s biggest games of the season.
On Wednesday, the school announced that the Champions Classic showdown with the Kansas Jayhawks will begin at approximately 9:30 PM ET. It will be the second game of a doubleheader that starts things off with the Duke Blue Devils facing the Michigan State Spartans at 7 PM ET.
Because the second game can’t begin until 30 minutes after the first game concludes, fans should be prepared for Kentucky – Kansas to begin closer to around 9:45 PM ET. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN.
This will be the first major regular-season test for the Wildcats, who are hovering around the 20-25 range of preseason college basketball polls. ESPN’s most recent ranking has Kentucky as No. 22 and Kansas at No. 25.