The upcoming basketball game between UNC and No. 4 UCLA in Las Vegas has been cancelled due to COVID protocols within the Bruins’ program. The announcement comes fewer than 48 hours before the game’s tip-off, scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. No make-up date will be pursued.

UCLA had previously cancelled its Wednesday game against Alabama State the day of the game, citing COVID protocols. A previous announcement said Bruins head coach Mick Cronin would miss the Alabama State game due to a positive test, but UCLA still planned to play before the game’s subsequent cancellation.

Carolina will now face Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Wildcats’ game against Ohio State, scheduled for the same day, had previously been cancelled due to COVID protocols within the Buckeyes’ program.

This is the second straight season in which UNC’s participation in the annual CBS Sports Classic has been affected by the pandemic. During the 2020-21 season, Carolina was scheduled to play Ohio State in the event, before a last-minute switch had the Tar Heels play Kentucky. Carolina won that game, 75-63.

This is the first UNC game cancelled due to COVID this season, and it comes amid a spike across major sports leagues, which has seen numerous match cancellations in the English Premier League and rising cases in the NFL and NHL. Carolina had four games cancelled due to COVID in the 2020-21 season.

This announcement also comes the same week the UNC women’s basketball team had its game against Jacksonville cancelled, due to COVID protocols within the Dolphins’ program.

 

Featured image via UNC-Chapel Hill

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: The Straw
UNC's Larry Miller was the dream All-American, a 6-foot-4 gunslinging southpaw who was handsome as a devil and a ferocious competitor.
UNC Men's Basketball Star Larry Miller, 2-Time ACC Player of the Year, Dies at 79
Larry Miller, who starred for the UNC men’s basketball team under head coach Dean Smith in the 1960s, died Sunday in Pennsylvania, the program announced Monday afternoon. Miller was 79. Rest in peace, Larry Miller. A Tar Heel forever 🩵 🔗: https://t.co/ngLUgPrBx6 pic.twitter.com/jCpzOFicOR — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 12, 2025 Miller helped the Tar Heels […]
Chansky's Notebook: Deja Blue?
You had to keep scrolling and scrolling on ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 poll to find UNC, slotted in at No. 25.
ACC Returning to 18-Game Schedule for Men's Basketball Beginning in 2025-26 Season
The ACC announced it would be returning to an 18-game conference schedule model for men’s basketball Wednesday afternoon. The change will go into effect immediately. The league had been using a 20-game format since the 2019-20 season (with the exception of the 2020-21 season). “As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of […]
Chansky's Notebook: Time to Heal?
Speculation is rife that Zayden High will return to the UNC basketball program this coming season. That is premature.
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Ohio State in Atlanta For CBS Sports Classic
Another key non-conference date for UNC next season has been finalized. The Tar Heels will face Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on December 20. A tip-off time will be announced later, though UNC’s game is confirmed to be the first of the day’s doubleheader. Mark your calendars […]
Report: Zayden High Expected to Return to UNC Men's Basketball Team Next Season
Editor’s Note: An article from the Raleigh News & Observer published Thursday, May 1 reports High was suspended from the university in the fall of 2024 for sexual misconduct and exploitation. He has since re-enrolled. You can read that report in full here. Zayden High, who spent his freshman year with the UNC men’s basketball […]
Virginia Tech Transfer Jaydon Young Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Jaydon Young, who spent the first two seasons of his career at Virginia Tech, committed to head coach Hubert Davis and UNC out of the transfer portal Friday. He will have two years of eligibility in Chapel Hill. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jaydon Young (@jaaaydonn3) A six-foot-four guard from Goldsboro, […]
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Jaydon Young – Virginia Tech Young comes to the Tar Heels following two seasons at Virginia Tech in which he appeared in 58 games and started 10. His best run of play […]
Chansky's Notebook: Rolling the Dice
Like some UNC players who have tinkered with the NBA Draft in recent years, Drake Powell is far from a sure thing as a pro.
›