Kansas joins CBS Sports Classic field; UNC will face Ky. next season in event extended until 2029

By R.L. Bynum

Kansas will join the CBS Sports Classic field next season, when the event, which has been extended until 2029, returns to Madison Square Garden.

The Jayhawks, who just finished a home-and-home series with North Carolina with the Tar Heels’ 87–74 victory this season on Nov. 7, take the spot St. John’s held last season and was held every preceding year by UCLA.

Kentucky, which UNC beat 67–64 in Lexington, Ky., on Dec. 2, will face Carolina in the Classic on Dec. 19 next season, with Kansas facing Ohio State in the other game.

Looking ahead, CBS Sports has also finalized matchups and dates for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 events, although the venues haven’t been set.

The Tar Heels’ opponents will be Kansas on Dec. 18, 2027, Ohio State on Dec. 16, 2028, and Kentucky on Dec. 15, 2029.

UNC, which beat Ohio State 71–70 at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta this season, has the best record in the event at 8–4. The Buckeyes, at 6–5, are the only other program with a winning record in the event.

Carolina has won both previous seasons that the event was in Madison Square Garden, 89–84 against Ohio State in a 2022 overtime game and 76–74 against UCLA in 2024.