CINCINNATI — The Hoops Classic featuring the Dayton Flyers and UC Bearcats, to be played on Saturday, Dec. 16, will tip off at 7 p.m. to avoid conflicting with the Bengals-Vikings game to be played the same day.
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Event promotor bdG Sports announced the start time Thursday afternoon for the matchup, which is contracted as a one-year agreement with an option for a second year.
“It’s exciting to re-ignite this rivalry with two programs that have experienced a lot of success in college basketball,” Brooks Downing, bdG Sports president & CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Both coaches deserve a big thank you for their willingness to start this series.”
UC head coach Wes Miller said, “We’re happy to partner with bdG Sports, which will facilitate a community engagement aspect around a big-time college basketball game in our city.”
Dayton head coach Anthony Grant also expressed excitement about the game, presented by altafiber and CareSource.
“This game will be a showcase of two tradition-rich programs with very passionate fan bases,” he said. “It certainly makes for a very attractive matchup in non-conference play.”
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The longtime rivals will be meeting for the first time since 2010. The Bearcats won that last meeting, 68-34, on Nov. 27, 2010 at the arena in downtown Cincinnati. Dayton’s last victory over UC came the season prior, an 81-66 NIT quarterfinals result at Fifth Third Arena on March 22, 2010.
Cincinnati and Dayton have met 91 times prior, with the Bearcats holding a 60-31 advantage. The rivalry is the third longest in program history for both schools. Cincinnati has played only Miami (Ohio) [149 games] and Louisville [99] more times while Dayton has faced only Xavier [159] and Miami (Ohio) [132] more often
The Hoops Classic previously was listed as “to be announced” as the two schools and bdG Sports awaited the NFL’s Week 15 schedule announcement, which included a flex date and time for the Cincinnati Bengals home game against the Minnesota Vikings. Earlier Thursday, the NFL announced the kickoff for Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1 p.m. ET.
Tickets to the Cincinnati-Dayton basketball game are available at HeritageBankCenter.com, Ticketmaster.com or through the Ticketmaster app. The neutral-site contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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