Generally, when the conference college basketball season gets into full swing, we rarely see teams step outside the Big Ten to play teams. According to a report from CBS Sports, however, there appears to be something in the works between Ohio State and another school not in the Big Ten.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Matt Norlander cited sources that told him that the Buckeyes and Virginia Cavaliers are working on a February 14, Valentine’s Day game. According to the story, “the game will be organized by Intersport, with the neutral-site venue soon to be determined. The goal is to house the one-off game at an arena that’s practical for OSU and UVa fans. Nashville is under consideration as a destination, sources added.”
Playing these types of games used to be commonplace, but once television contracts, conference realignment, and resistance from conference administrators got in the way, it’s a rare sight to see teams have these types of nonconference tussles late in the season. But, it’s a trend that seems to be taking off more as of late.
Other notable nonconference games before all the March Madness include Baylor vs. Louisville (also on Feb. 14, in Fort Worth, Texas) and Duke vs. Michigan (Feb. 21 in Washington, D.C.). This, after we saw Gonzaga at Kentucky in 2024 and Duke vs. Illinois last season at Madison Square Garden. Not exactly a big population, but a trend in the right direction nonetheless.
As more details emerge about the Buckeyes and Cavaliers, we’ll bring them to you.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Report: Ohio State basketball nonconference February game in the works vs. ACC power
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
