Kentucky announces tip-time for CBS Sports Classic matchup vs. Ohio State

Earlier this month, we learned that Kentucky and Ohio State would go head-to-head in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, Dec. 21. A start time for that matchup was officially announced on Tuesday.

The Wildcats and Buckeyes will meet at Madison Square Garden with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST. It will be the second game of the annual doubleheader with UCLA facing off against North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. EST.

This will be the third time installment of Kentucky vs. Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic, with the Buckeyes winning the first two matchups in 2015 and 2019. Throughout this event’s 10-year history, UK is 5-5, most recently beating North Carolina in Dec. 2023.

Our CBS Sports Classic matchup vs. Ohio State will be Dec. 21 in @TheGarden.

📰🔗https://t.co/FdQdX5EEJ0 pic.twitter.com/7l4gWUkWDj

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 25, 2024

Notably, the new-look Wildcats will go up against a familiar face. Former Kentucky center Aaron Bradshaw, who spent his freshman season in Lexington in 2023-24, transferred to Ohio State during the offseason. The 7-footer averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game last year under John Calipari.

But things look a little bit different in Lexington going into next season. Mark Pope is now in charge and he’s brought in 12 new players. However, only two have faced the Buckeyes before: San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler and West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa.

• Butler (Nov. 2022 | W): 15 points (6-12 FG), 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 one steal in 31 minutes.
• Kriisa (Dec. 2023 | L): 5 points (2-8 FG), 5 assists, 4 rebounds in 31 minutes.

Below are the full results from Kentucky’s run in the CBS Sports Classic up to this point, via Big Blue History, along with the current non-conference schedule for 2024-25 as we know it:

Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Notes
12/20/2014	UCLA	W	83 – 44	CBS Sports Classic (at Chicago, IL)
12/19/2015	Ohio State	L	67 – 74	CBS Sports Classic (at Brooklyn, NY)
12/17/2016	North Carolina	W	103 – 100	CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV)
12/23/2017	UCLA	L	75 – 83	CBS Sports Classic (at New Orleans, LA)
12/22/2018	North Carolina	W	80 – 72	CBS Sports Classic (at Chicago, IL)
12/21/2019	Ohio State	L	65 – 71	CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV)
12/19/2020	North Carolina	L	63 – 75	CBS Sports Classic (at Cleveland, OH) Originally scheduled vs. Ohio State but changed due to Covid-19 testing protocols
12/18/2021	North Carolina	W	98 – 69	CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV) Originally scheduled vs. Ohio State but changed due to Covid-19
12/17/2022	UCLA	L	53 – 63	CBS Sports Classic (at New York, NY)
12/16/2023	North Carolina	W	87 – 83	CBS Sports Classic (at Atlanta, GA)

Kentucky’s 2024-25 non-conference schedule as we know it

• Tue., Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic, Atlanta)
• Tue., Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge)
• Sat., Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Seattle)
• Sat., Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena)
• Sat., Dec. 21 (5:30 PM ET): vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic, New York City)
• TBD: Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena)
• TBD: Lipscomb (Rupp Arena)