The Tar Heels will be taking their talents to The World’s Most Famous Arena.

The UNC men’s basketball program announced it would play Ohio State as part of the annual CBS Sports Classic this season. The game is scheduled for December 17, and will be played in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The announcement confirmed initial offseason reports of the opponent and venue. UNC’s initial non-conference schedule release listed the game as “TBA.”

The Tar Heels are 5-3 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, a four-team event featuring Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA and Ohio State. UNC hasn’t faced the Buckeyes in the event since 2017, when the Tar Heels won took an 86-72 win. The two sides last met in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge during the ill-fated 2019-20 season. The Buckeyes thrashed Carolina in Chapel Hill, 74-49.

UNC hasn’t taken the floor at Madison Square Garden in more than a decade. The team last played there early in the 2010-11 season, defeating Rutgers. The team played there four times during the 2009-10 season, including the semifinals and championship game of the NIT.

“Who wouldn’t love to play in the Garden?” said rising junior guard R.J. Davis, who is from nearby White Plains, N.Y. “The Garden’s the best arena there is to play in.”

In addition, UNC’s announcement confirmed the CBS Sports Classic has been extended for at least three more years, through 2026.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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