The COVID shuffle continues: Kentucky to play UCLA in Cleveland in December
As much as anything can be solidified during the coronavirus pandemic, Kentucky’s basketball schedule for the 2020-21 season took a step in that direction Thursday when it was announced that the CBS Sports Classic will be played in Cleveland on Dec. 19.
Kentucky will play UCLA in the second game of the annual doubleheader. North Carolina will play Ohio State in the first game set to begin at 2 p.m. EST. Both games will be played in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which is the home court of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The event was originally planned to be played in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Whether fans will be able to attend the 2020 CBS Sports Classic — and in what number — continues to be evaluated, organizers said in a news release. With the coronavirus pandemic overshadowing many facets of sports and life, organizers will follow the guidelines outlined in the Responsible RestartOhio plan. Fans can also register to receive event alerts by registering online at cbssportsclassic.com/tickets.
For Kentucky, the CBS Sports Classic marked the second game confirmed on the 2020-21 schedule. Earlier this month, it was announced that Kentucky will play Texas in Rupp Arena on Jan. 30 as part of the annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The full schedule is expected to be released soon, UK said in a news release.
As for attendance at Kentucky home games this coming season, the school alerted elected officials and season-ticket holders in the last two weeks that attendance could be capped at 15 percent of Rupp Arena’s capacity of 20,500 (or 3,075).
Fans with questions or who did not receive the information can contact the UK Ticket Office at (800) 928-2287, the school’s athletics department said.
Of course, the Kentucky-UCLA game will feature the two programs with the most NCAA Tournament championships. UCLA has won 11 national championships. Kentucky has won eight. UK leads the series 8-7, although UCLA has won five of the eight most recent games, and three of the last four.
The game in this season’s CBS Sports Classic was in doubt earlier this fall when the Pac-12 Conference announced that its athletic teams would not play games until Jan. 1. The conference later rescinded that decision.
Kentucky and UCLA have played in the CBS Sports Classic twice previously. Kentucky routed UCLA 83-44 in Chicago on Dec. 20, 2014. UCLA won 83-75 in New Orleans on Dec. 23, 2017. That is the last time Kentucky has played UCLA.
Overall, Kentucky has a 3-3 record in the CBS Sports Classic. UK lost to Ohio State in the event last season.
Looking ahead, Kentucky will play North Carolina in the 2021 CBS Sports Classic (Dec. 18, 2021) and Ohio State in 2022 (Dec. 17, 2022). Sites have not been determined.
