COLUMBUS -- Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach, announced the Buckeyes' non-conference slate for the 2014-15 season Monday. The 18-game Big Ten Conference schedule will be released at a later date.
A contest at Value City Arena against Marquette Nov. 18 to close a home-and-home series with the Golden Eagles highlights the home non-conference schedule while the Buckeyes travel to Louisville Dec. 2 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and will face North Carolina Dec. 20 at the United Center in Chicago as part of the CBS SPORTS CLASSIC.
The game against Louisville will mark the Buckeyes' 13th game all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Ohio State, 6-6 all-time in the Challenge, has won five of its last six contests in the Challenge and is 4-3 all-time against the Cardinals.
Ohio State's matchup against North Carolina is part of the first season of the three-year CBS SPORTS CLASSIC, which also pits Duke against UCLA at the United Center this season. CBS Sports will broadcast a doubleheader in 2014, 2015 and 2016 featuring these four elite programs playing each other once in a round-robin format. The event moves to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 19, 2015 and then travels to Las Vegas in December 2016. Ohio State will play Kentucky in 2015 and UCLA in 2016.
The Sacred Heart, Campbell, James Madison and Colgate games are part of the 2014 Buckeye Classic.
The game at Nationwide Arena vs. North Carolina A&T satisfies an NCAA requirement to play a regular-season game at the site where 2015 NCAA Tournament Second and Third Round games will be played. Ohio State is the host institution for early round games in 2015. The Buckeyes will not be permitted to play in Columbus should they qualify for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State is 3-0 all-time at Nationwide Arena. Matta is 2-0 at the downtown Columbus venue with wins vs. intrastate foes Youngstown State and Miami (Ohio).
The Buckeyes open the regular season against UMass-Lowell Nov. 14 followed by the contest against Marquette and games against Sacred Heart, Campbell and James Madison. After playing at Louisville to open December, Ohio State hosts Colgate, High Point and Morehead State before taking on North Carolina A&T at Nationwide Arena. The Buckeyes then face North Carolina in Chicago before hosting Miami (Ohio) Dec. 22 as part of a holiday doubleheader with the Ohio State women's basketball team and closing the non-conference schedule Dec. 27 against Wright State.
The Big Ten Conference schedule and game times with television designations will be announced at a later date.
2014-15 Ohio State Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 9 - Walsh (exhibition)
Nov. 14 - UMass-Lowell
Nov. 18 - Marquette
Nov. 23 - 1-Sacred Heart
Nov. 26 - 1-Campbell
Nov. 28 - 1-James Madison
Dec. 2 - 2-at Louisville
Dec. 6 - 1-Colgate
Dec. 10 - High Point
Dec. 13 - Morehead State
Dec. 17 - 3-North Carolina A&T
Dec. 20 - 4-vs. North Carolina
Dec. 22 - Miami (Ohio)
Dec. 27 - Wright State
1-Buckeye Classic, Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
2-ACC/Big Ten Challenge, KFC YUM! Center, Louisville, Ky.
3-Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
4-CBS SPORTS CLASSIC, United Center, Chicago
