Non-Conference Schedule Finalized–2020-21

ADDITIONAL INFO
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2020-21 Ohio State men’s basketball season will tip Nov. 11 at Value City Arena against Oakland University. The Buckeyes are 2-0 in the series, last facing the Golden Grizzlies Dec. 23, 2010, a 92-63 win for the Buckeyes.

Greg Paulus, an assistant coach with the Buckeyes from 2014-17 after a two-year stint as the Ohio State video coordinator (2012-13), will bring his second edition of the Niagara Purple Eagles to Columbus Nov. 15. He took over the Niagara program just prior to last season.

Another former Ohio State assistant (2005-08), John Groce, is now the head coach at Akron. The Zips travel to Columbus Nov. 19. Ohio State is 7-1 all-time in the series, last facing Akron at Value City Arena March 15, 2016 in the National Invitation Tournament, a 72-63 overtime victory for the Buckeyes.

Groce and Chris Holtmann, head coach of the Buckeyes, both attended Taylor (Ind.) University. Holtmann spent two years as an assistant on Groce’s staff at Ohio University (2009-10).

The Buckeyes will participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas Nov. 25-27. The schedule for that event is not set. Ohio State will play three games over the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday. The field includes Creighton, Duke, Memphis, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wichita State, Utah and the Buckeyes.

The annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge will again take place in early December. The matchups have not been set.

The Buckeyes begin Big Ten Conference play in early December with two league games around a Dec. 9 home game vs. Towson University. The league schedule has not been announced. This will be the 109th season of Big Ten Conference play for the Buckeyes.

The CBSSports Classic will pit the Buckeyes against North Carolina Tar Heels Dec. 19. Ohio State defeated UNC a year ago in the 2019 Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill. The location of the 2020 CBSSports Classic has not been finalized.

Morehead State then travels to Value City Arena for a Dec. 22 game before the final game of the non-conference schedule Dec. 30 vs. Alabama A&M.

Times and television designations will be announced at a later date.

Noting Ohio State vs. Ohio teams

• Ohio State improved its record to 237-79 versus teams from Ohio with the 71-52 win over Kent State Nov. 25, 2019 in Columbus.
• Chris Holtmann has an 11-5 career record versus teams from Ohio.
• Ohio State is 29-1 vs. Ohio teams since the 1995-96 season. The loss was to Dayton in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes fell 60-59 (3/20/2014) to the No. 22 Flyers.
• Ohio State is 179-30 in Columbus vs. Ohio teams, 50-41 in road games and 8-8 at neutral sites all-time.
• When playing in the state of Ohio (vs. all opponents), the Buckeyes are 1,164-418 (.736).

Noting the 2020-21 Non-Conference Schedule

• Ohio State will play six games, plus at least one exhibition, at Value City Arena. At least four non-league games will be away from home (three in the Bahamas and one other in a location TBD). The location of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge has not been announced.
• Now in its seventh year, Ohio State will again play in the CBSSports Classic. The Buckeyes take on North Carolina while Kentucky and UCLA play in the other game.
• Two Big Ten Conference games will be played in early December after the league expanding to a 20-game, regular-season slate in 2018-19. The Big Ten Conference schedule will be released at a later date. Ohio State is 5-1 in December league games since Chris Holtmann took over the program.
• The annual Big Ten Tournament will be contested in Chicago in 2021 then back to Indianapolis in 2022.
• The Buckeyes will have at least 16 home games in 2020-21 plus at least one exhibition (date and opponent(s) to be determined).

2020-21 Ohio State Non-Conference Schedule

November
5-Thurs.                   Exhibition
11-Wed.                    Oakland
15-Sun.                     Niagara
19-Thurs.                 Akron
25-27-Wed.-Fri.      1-Battle 4 Atlantis (Creighton, Duke, Memphis, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wichita State, Utah)

December
1 or 2-Mon./Tues.  2-Big Ten/ACC Challenge

9-Wed.                  Towson

19-Sat.                    3-North Carolina
22-Tues.                Morehead State
30-Wed.                Alabama A&M

March

10-14                       4-Big Ten Tournament

1-Battle 4 Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas

2-Big Ten/ACC Challenge, TBA
3-CBSSports Classic, TBA
4-2021 Big Ten Tournament, United Center, Chicago

Home games in Bold