Kentucky Basketball Extends CBS Sports Classic Contract Through 2026

Kentucky‘s annual neutral site games aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The University of Kentucky has signed a three-year contract extension to continue playing the CBS Sports Classic.

According to Jon Hale of the Courier-Journal, Kentucky will play Ohio State in 2024, UCLA in 2025 and North Carolina in 2026 in three cities that will be determined at a later date. This year the Wildcats will take on UCLA Dec. 17 in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to the CBS Sports Classic, Kentucky is also signed on to play in the Champions Classic through the 2025 season. Indianapolis will host UK vs. Michigan State is this year’s event Nov. 15.

Neither four-team neutral site series has been particularly kind to the Wildcats. Kentucky is 5-6 in the Champions Classic, with only one win in the last four years. The Wildcats are 4-4 since the inception of the CBS Sports Classic in 2014. Last year’s event did provide one of the highlights of the 2021-22 season. A COVID-19 outbreak shook up the schedule, but Kentucky was unfazed against North Carolina. The Cats smacked down the the eventual Final Four team 98-69 in Las Vegas.

Once the most anticipated games on the schedule, neutral-site fatigue is setting in among season-ticket holders. In addition to these two rotating four-team events, this year the Wildcats will travel to London to face Michigan. However, the season-ticket holders are still getting plenty of bang for their buck. Louisville and Kansas will come to Rupp Arena during the 2022-23 season.