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Today, the Ohio State basketball team announced that they would be opening the 2018 and 2019 basketball seasons against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Fans of both programs have been wanting to see the in-state rivals face each other on the hardwood for years, but Ohio State has been reticent to take on other Ohio programs in recent years.
️ We are excited to announce we will be taking on @GoBearcatsMBB to tip off the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/vGdkhpFSgK
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 3, 2017
With new head coach Chris Holtmann now at the helm for the Buckeyes, it appears that that philosophy has changed. No venue was officially announced, so it is unclear as of now if the games will be played on a neutral site, or if they will be part of a home-and-home series.
The two schools played a pair of historic National Championship games in 1961 and 1962, with the Bearcats coming out on top in both, after OSU beat Cal for the 1960 title.