2021 CBS Sports Classic Matchups Announced: UCLA Battle UNC And Ohio State Meets Kentucky

(CBS Local)- Fresh off of a Final Four appearance in this year's tournament, UCLA is set to headline the 2021 CBS Sports Classic this December. The Bruins will face North Carolina and new coach Hubert Davis with Ohio State and Kentucky following in the second game of the double header.

The matchups, announced by CBS Thursday, mark the eighth year of the event which has traditionally brought these four basketball powers together each year at a different venue since 2014. This year's matchups are rematches of the 2019 CBS Sports Classic when Ohio State toppled Kentucky 71-65 and North Carolina took down UCLA 74-64.

The venue for this year's event will be announced at a later date but fans interested in attending can sign up to receive email alerts about ticket availability at www.cbssportsclassic.com/tickets. Those fans who do register for the alerts will be eligible to receive exclusive presale access.

Each of the four teams currently appear in the CBSSports.com preaseason Top 25 and 1 compiled by college basketball analyst Gary Parrish. The Bruins are slotted at No. 2 in the country, followed by Kentucky (12), Ohio State (18) and North Carolina. The Bruins got a further boost to their lineup on Thursday with the announcement that top scorer Johnny Juzang has removed his name from consideration for the NBA Draft and is returning to the program.

The Tar Heels own the best record in the CBS Sports Classic, going 5-2 over the seven previous editions. The Buckeyes are second with a 4-3 record followed by Kentucky (3-4) and UCLA (2-5). For additional information on the event, please visit www.cbssportsclassic.com.

The CBS Sports Classic caps off a triple-header of basketball for CBS that day as the network will feature national runner-up Gonzaga taking on Texas Tech at 1 p.m. Eastern Time in the Jerry Colangelo Classic to tip-off the day of action.