Ohio State-UCLA CBS Sports Classic matchup set for Atlanta

COLUMBUS — It’s official. Ohio State will play UCLA in this year’s CBS Sports Classic at the State Farm Center in Atlanta on Dec. 16.

The game is set for a 3 p.m. tip-off before UNC-Kentucky gets going at 5 p.m.

Ohio State is 4-4 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, including 2-1 against UCLA in the four-team non-conference event that’s been around since 2014 and has featured Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA and Ohio State every year since its inception.

In last year’s CBS Sports Classic, the then-No. 23 Buckeyes established a double-digit lead against the Tar Heels in the opening frame. UNC, however, found its way back into the game and forced overtime at the buzzer. From there, the Tar Heels carried their momentum into the extra period, where they emerged victorious in a UNC-friendly Madison Square Garden.

This time around, Ohio State will be up against a UCLA program that has regained prominence under Mick Cronin, who led the Bruins to a 31-6 record and a third consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2022-23. UCLA will look different this season, though.

Most notably, the Bruins will be without standout guard/forward Jaime Jacquez Jr. and guards Amari Bailey and Jaylen Clark, all three of whom were NBA Draft picks this year — Jacquez headlined that trio as first-round selection of the Miami Heat. Plus, UCLA won’t have seasoned point guard Tyger Campbell, who is trying his hand at a pro career, too.

UCLA is welcoming the 15th-ranked recruiting class in the country this year, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. It’s a group spearheaded by four-star Las Vegas (Nevada) Coronado guard Sebastian Mack.

Along with New York City — and the borough of Brooklyn — Las Vegas, Cleveland, Chicago and New Orleans have also played host to the CBS Sports Classic. This will be the first year the event travels to Atlanta.

Here’s the complete breakdown of Ohio State’s non-conference schedule for the upcoming season.

Note: * denotes neutral site games

November

Nov. 6 vs. Oakland

• Ohio State will open the season against Oakland on Nov. 6. The Buckeyes and Grizzlies have squared off three times before, with Ohio State winning each game by double digits. Interestingly enough, the teams first met in 1998, the night Value City Arena opened. MORE DETAILS

Nov. 10 vs. Texas A&M

• Ohio State is kicking off a home-and-home with Texas A&M four days into the season. The Buckeyes will host the Aggies on Nov. 10. Ohio State will head to College Station to complete the series during the 2024-25 season. The Buckeyes have faced Texas A&M on three separate occasions, the most recent coming in a neutral site game in New York City on Nov. 23, 2007. It was part of the NIT Preseason Tip-Off Championship in Madison Square Garden, where the Aggies handed Ohio State a 70-47 loss. MORE DETAILS

Nov. 15 vs. Merrimack

Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan (also part of Emerald Coast Classic)

*Nov. 24-25 vs. Alabama, Oregon/Santa Clara in Emerald Coast Classic

• Ohio State will play in the Emerald Coast Classic this season, an early-season tournament in Niceville, Florida, that takes place over Thanksgiving weekend. The event consists of a four-team field: Alabama, Oregon, Santa Clara and, of course, Ohio State. Alabama is the lone member of the group that made the NCAA Tournament last season. The Crimson Tide — now, once again, experiencing significant roster turnover — were the No. 1 overall seed but got ousted in the Sweet Sixteen by Final Four-bound San Diego State.

Nov. 29 vs. Central Michigan

December

Dec. 5/6 vs. Miami (Ohio)

• Whether this game is played on Dec. 5 or 6 depends on when Ohio State plays its first Big Ten game, which will also be the first week of December.

*Dec. 16 vs. UCLA in CBS Sports Classic

• The CBS Sports Classic — a four-team non-conference event that has included Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA since its inception in 2014 — is back again. It will take place on Dec. 16 in Atlanta. Ohio State is 4-4 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic.

Dec. 21 vs. New Orleans

*Dec. 30 vs. West Virginia

• As was the case in 2019, Ohio State is headed to Cleveland to play West Virginia. A venue hasn’t been announced for the event yet, but the last time the Buckeyes and Mountaineers met, it was at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This year’s showdown will be the 18th all-time meeting between the programs. Ohio State has lost eight of its last nine games against WVU. That said, the Buckeyes still lead the series, 9-8. The teams have played only three times since 2000, and just once since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. MORE DETAILS

Big Ten Schedule

Back in April, the Big Ten announced every team’s home and away conference opponents for the 2023-24 season. Ohio State will play 14 league foes both at and away from the Schottenstein Center, three Big Ten opponents only at home and three more only on the road.

Here’s the breakdown:

Home Only

• Illinois
• Maryland
• Purdue

Away Only

• Iowa
• Michigan State
• Northwestern

Home and Away

• Indiana
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Penn State
• Rutgers
• Wisconsin

Tip-times, TV assignments and the completed Big Ten schedule will be revealed toward the end of the summer.