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Kansas losing to........UTEP

I don't think the Champions Classic helps the sport, either, but you do it for the money.

Speaking of champions, since it started in 2011, Kentucky (2012) and Duke (2015 thanks to Wisconsin's choke job) are the only "champions" of that bunch. Kansas (2012) and Kentucky (2014) are the only others to play in the NCG.

In fact, only Kansas (2018) has even made it to the Final Four since Duke winning it all in 2015.

So you can talk all you want about how great it is for recruiting and making your SOS look pretty, but in actuality it hasn't done much (especially in recent years) to project future success in that season.

Just sayin..........

It’s funny that people get triggered by the name they chose for the event. But since you mention it...KU won a title a few years before the first Champions Classic, Duke won it the season before, and Duke/Kentucky have each won one since. Michigan State is often Big 10 champ and KU is champion of the Big 12 almost every year. I think the name suits it fine.

I’m not sure what kind of impact you’d expect from one game at the start of the season, but it obviously doesn’t hurt recruiting, SOS or TV ratings.
 
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