The CBS Sports Classic is headed to Madison Square Garden this season for the first time as the annual college basketball showcase brings a couple of marquee matchups to basketball’s biggest stage. First up during the Dec. 17 showcase will be a Kentucky vs. UCLA matchup at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a meeting between North Carolina and Ohio State.
Each of the four teams are ranked in the CBS Sports’ Top 25 And 1, with the matchup between Kentucky and UCLA standing out as a top-10 matchup. Parrish has the Wildcats at No. 4 and the Bruins at No. 10 as third-year Bruins coach Mick Cronin will get his first taste of the series between historical powers. Kentucky and UCLA last met in the 2017 CBS Sports Classic in New Orleans, when the Bruins won 83-75 and drew within 8-7 in the all-time series between the two.
The second meeting is no slouch, either, as the Tar Heels rank No. 2 and the Buckeyes rank No. 24. North Carolina returns four starters from its Final Four run and will be looking for a repeat of its 86-72 win over the Buckeyes in the 2017 event.
The games will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. CBS Sports also announced Thursday that the CBS Sports Classic has been extended for three years through 2026. Since the showcase began in 2014, North Carolina is 5-3, Ohio State is 4-3, Kentucky is 4-4 and UCLA is 2-5.