Four of college basketball's elite programs will play a difficult opponent early in each of the next three seasons: each other.
Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky and Kansas will take turns playing each other over the next three years in the Champions Classic, a new tournament designed to give the college basketball season an early jump start.
That's three of the four winningest programs in the sport with a combined 16 national championships under one roof.
''This event is a great way to tip off the college basketball season and promote our great sport,'' Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. ''It's like having a Final Four in November.''
The Champions Classic will open next Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden, with Duke facing Michigan State and Kentucky against Kansas.
The tournament shifts the next year to Atlanta's Georgia Dome, where Michigan State will play Kansas and Duke gets Kentucky. The Champions Classic shifts to Chicago's United Center for 2013, with the Spartans facing the Wildcats and the Jayhawks against the Blue Devils.
The four teams have combined for 22 Final Four appearances and eight national championships the past 20 years, and are all ranked in the top 20 this season, led by No. 1 and defending national champion Duke.
''This three-year event is a reward for how passionate these fan bases are for their teams,'' Kentucky coach John Calipari said. ''It's a unique opportunity for our fans across the nation to see us play in three major cities against top-level competition.''
