The CBS Sports Classic will lose its other important acronym for the 2025 event, with UCLA deciding to withdraw from the annual made-for-TV doubleheader to focus on scheduling games that require less travel.
St. John's will replace UCLA, and promoters chose to schedule the Red Storm against Kentucky to match coach Rick Pitino against his former player, Mark Pope. The event, begun in 2014, also includes North Carolina and Ohio State.
Last year’s event was at Madison Square Garden, and the 2025 classic is set for Dec. 20 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
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Rick Pitino vs. Kentucky
Pitino coached the Wildcats from 1989 through 1997 and reached three Final Fours and won an NCAA title. He later took the job at UK rival Louisville; has not coached against Kentucky since he was dismissed by Louisville in September 2017. While coaching the Cardinals, he owned a 6-12 record against the Wildcats.
Pope played for Pitino at UK from 1994-96 after transferring from Washington. He was a member of the legendary 1996 NCAA Championship team, averaging 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 21 minutes per game off the bench.
"I think we should give the Johnnies and BBN the greatest Christmas gift ever," Pope said in a social media video announcing the matchup.
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UCLA wants to reduce travel
In their second year in the Big Ten Conference, the Bruins are set for road games against Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State in 2025-26.
To fill the spot on the schedule previously occupied by the CBS Sports Classic, coach Mick Cronin and his staff are actively searching for an opponent who’ll agree to a home-and-home series.
“We want to add to our home schedule, if possible,” Cronin told The Sporting News. “Also, we would like to relax travel demands on our student-athletes. I think we cannot lose sight of the fact – although they are paid, they are still students.”
UCLA already has three significant games on neutral floors, two of them against traditional powers.
The Bruins will play Big 12 contender Arizona on Nov. 14 at the Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ new state-of-the-art arena in Inglewood. They will face NCAA Tournament constant Gonzaga on Dec. 13, completing a scheduled two-year series. UCLA also scheduled a game at the Chase Center in San Francisco against California of the ACC.
The Bruins went 9-2 in their non-conference schedule last season, losing only to New Mexico and North Carolina, but they did not play an NCAA Tournament-level opponent in that portion of their schedule at Pauley Pavilion.
They finished the season 23-11, fourth place in the Big Ten and with a second-round elimination from the NCAA Tournament.