The CBS Sports Classic, a marquee event on the college basketball non-conference calendar, has been extended through the 2029-30 season. In addition, the event has also set UNC’s matchups for the next four seasons and added Kansas to replace St. John’s in the four-team field. St. John’s participated in the 2025 event as a replacement for UCLA, which had been a founding member.
With a field of UNC, Kentucky, Kansas and Ohio State, the Tar Heels will face the Wildcats and the Jayhawks will face the Buckeyes in the 2026 CBS Sports Classic, which will be played Dec. 19 in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. UNC will then face Kansas on Dec. 18, 2027, Ohio State on Dec. 16, 2028, and Kentucky again on Dec. 15, 2029. The venues for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 games have not been finalized.
UNC owns an 8-4 record in the CBS Sports Classic, which was first played in December 2014. The Tar Heels defeated Ohio State 71-70 in Atlanta in the most recent iteration of the event. The 2026 meeting with Kentucky will mark the second consecutive season in which the Tar Heels have played the Wildcats, as UNC beat Kentucky in Lexington as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge in December.
Carolina also recently completed a two-game series with the Jayhawks which saw the Tar Heels visit Allen Fieldhouse in 2024 and Kansas visit the Smith Center for the first time ever in 2025. The home team won each game. After the most recent meeting in Chapel Hill, Kansas head coach Bill Self had expressed interest in playing a series with the Tar Heels.
“If you’re gonna play a big time series, why can’t it be Kansas and Carolina?” Self said.
UNC and Kansas have split 14 all-time meetings, with Carolina’s win in November snapping a five-game winning streak for the Jayhawks. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series with Kentucky 26-18 and lead Ohio State 14-3.
Fans interested in attending the CBS Sports Classic can register to receive alerts regarding ticket news and other details by clicking here.
Featured image via Todd Melet
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