CBS Sports Classic to take place in Atlanta this year

Scheduling news is starting to leak out for next season, as it so often does this time of year. College hoops writer Rocco Miller is reporting that the CBS Sports Classic will take place on December 16 in Atlanta. Not only will this be the first time the event has been played in Atlanta, it also marks its tenth anniversary. Time flies when you’re playing non-conference neutral site games.

Miller said he anticipates the matchups being Kentucky vs. Ohio State and UCLA vs. North Carolina, but in October, John Calipari tweeted that the Cats would face the Tar Heels in the event in 2023. So, until it’s officially announced, we’ll keep the opponent as “to be determined.”

If it is Ohio State, it will be round three of the Cats vs. the Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic, with Ohio State owning a 2-0 advantage. In 2019, the No. 5 Buckeyes beat the No. 6 Cats 71-65 in Las Vegas, Kentucky’s second straight loss in Sin City, the first being to Utah a few days prior. In 2015, Ohio State upset No. 4 Kentucky 74-67 in Brooklyn despite 33 points from Jamal Murray.

The Buckeyes finished the 2022-23 season 16-19 and second to last in the Big Ten (5-15). For the first time in Chris Holtmann’s six-year career as Ohio State’s head coach (not counting 2020), they did not make the NCAA Tournament. Not a great season for the Nicholasville native.

Here’s Kentucky’s 2023-24 non-conference schedule as we know it. For what it’s worth, there have been rumblings that the Michigan series may be canceled and the Cats will face Duke in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

• Nov. 14: vs. Kansas (Champions Classic, Chicago)
• Dec. 2: vs. Michigan (Rupp Arena, Lexington)
• TBD: vs. Gonzaga (Rupp Arena, Lexington)
• TBD: vs. ACC opponent
• Dec. 16: vs. TBD (CBS Sports Classic, Atlanta)
• TBD: at Louisville (Yum Center, Louisville)
• TBD: vs. Notre Dame (neutral site, unconfirmed)

[UPDATE: Miller wrote me to say he based the matchups on a report from last year, so this post has been updated to reflect that. UK cannot confirm Kentucky’s opponent in this year’s CBS Sports Classic.]