Eric Boggs
Ohio State University’s basketball team is set to go head-to-head against Kentucky on December 21st, inside the iconic Madison Square Garden, as part of this year’s CBS Sports Classic.
The date and venue were initially reported by Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 and later confirmed by The Columbus Dispatch. UCLA and North Carolina are also scheduled to face off in another game during the event, now in its 11th year. This marks the second time Madison Square Garden will host the CBS Sports Classic. In the previous occurrence two years ago, North Carolina emerged victorious over Ohio State in overtime, with a final score of 89-84.
Ohio State has a historical record of 5 wins and 4 losses in the event. However, the team was absent in 2021 due to a COVID-19 outbreak, which halted their games from December 22nd to January 2nd. In that year, they were slated to face Kentucky in Las Vegas.
In the previous season, Ohio State secured a win against UCLA with a score of 67-60, in a game hosted at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Notably, this upcoming match will feature two new head coaches: Jake Diebler for Ohio State and Mark Pope for Kentucky, both in their inaugural full seasons. Diebler succeeded Holtmann after his dismissal in February and later earned the permanent position, while Pope replaced John Calipari, who moved to Arkansas.
The game will also reunite Ohio State’s second-year transfer center, Aaron Bradshaw, with his former team, Kentucky, where he played 26 games in the 2023-24 season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Ohio State’s season opener is scheduled against Texas on November 4th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Additionally, they will play at Texas A&M as part of a home-and-home series that commenced last season. Further details regarding Ohio State’s non-conference schedule, including plans to host a multi-team event around Thanksgiving, are still being finalized. The team also aims to secure a home game against a high-profile opponent.
Specifics about ticket sales and a formal announcement regarding the CBS game will be provided at a later date.
