CINCINNATI -- Last time the Ohio State University men's basketball team came to the Queen City, alcohol was illegal in the United States and the University of Cincinnati Bearcat looked like the work of a sinister taxidermist.
It's been TOOOOOO LONG buddy! Looking forward to opening your remodeled next season #GoBucks @TheCincyBearcat pic.twitter.com/rDZfuY4pp1
— Brutus Buckeye (@Brutus_Buckeye) October 3, 2017
(What was going on with the eyes, UC?)
The two teams will open their 2018-'19 and '19-'20 seasons against one another, meeting on a Cincinnati court for the first time since Jan. 3, 1920, UC announced in a news release Tuesday. The dates of these games were still up in the air Tuesday night, but UC head coach Mick Cronin confirmed the 2018 opener would be held in the Bearcats' newly renovated Fifth Third Arena.
"We are very excited about reopening our arena next season," he said in the release. "Supporting this and agreeing to play Cincinnati in a home-and-home series is a first class move by Ohio State, Coach (Chris) Holtmann and the OSU administration."
The 1920 game was the last time the Bearcats and Buckeyes dueled in Cincinnati, but the teams have played each other out of town five subsequent times: 1921 in Columbus, 1961 in Kansas City, 1962 in Louisville, 2006 in Indianapolis and 2012 in Boston.
Of the 10 games the teams played together since 1905, the Buckeyes won 6; the Bearcats won 4. Think these two season openers can help the Bearcats even the odds?
