UNC-Kentucky CBS Sports Classic Tip-Off Time Announced

North Carolina’s matchup with Kentucky in the 2026 CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden will tip-off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, the university announced Thursday.

In January, the event announced that the Tar Heels would return to Madison Square Garden to take part in the marquee showcase that will also feature Ohio State and Kansas, who replace UCLA in the event next season.

North Carolina is 8–4 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, posting a 3–0 record against Ohio State, 4–0 against UCLA and 1–4 against Kentucky.

December’s showdown with the Wildcats will mark Carolina’s first trip to “The World’s Most Famous Arena” since a 76-74 win over UCLA in the 2024 CBS Sports Classic.

The trip back to New York will also provide an opportunity for first-year UNC head coach Michael Malone to return home. Malone was born in Queens and previously spent time in the city as an assistant coach at Manhattan University from 1999-2001 before serving as an assistant with the New York Knicks from 2001-05.

North Carolina enters next season’s CBS Sports Classic having already faced — and defeated — each of the other three participating programs during its 2025 campaign, sweeping Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio State.

As part of January’s announcement, future CBS Sports Classic matchups were also unveiled through 2029. UNC is slated to face Kansas on Dec. 18, 2027, Ohio State on Dec. 16, 2028, and Kentucky again on Dec. 15, 2029.