Ohio State and Cincinnati will be balling for a cause on Oct. 18.
The Buckeyes and Bearcats announced Wednesday that they will square off at Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena in the OSU vs. UC CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health next month.
All profits from the contest will go toward mental health providers and charities “within each school's footprint,” per an Ohio State release, as well as Jay's Light, a foundation started by Dayton head basketball coach Anthony Grant, whose daughter died in 2022 at the age of 20 as a result of mental illness.
Buckeye Nation mark your calendars, were heading to Cincy
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) September 4, 2024
On October 18th we square off against the Bearcats in the CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health
Ticket information and tip off time to be announced soon
: https://t.co/3tcuay54nR pic.twitter.com/5Ds5JYxpPC
Dayton and Xavier will play another charity exhibition game for the same cause at UD Arena two days later on Oct. 20.
“We’re excited to partner with Cincinnati and CareSource this preseason for such a tremendous cause,” Jake Diebler said in Ohio State's release. “The opportunity to raise awareness, specifically in our great state, was important to our program and university. The overall wellness and mental health of our student-athletes has long been a priority for our athletic department, and we are blessed to have incredible resources here at Ohio State. Being able to join Coach Grant, along with Coach Miller and his program, is important for our state as we continue to work to have a real impact in our communities.”
The preseason exhibition will also serve as a tune-up for Ohio State's new-look roster before it opens its regular season in Las Vegas against Texas as part of the Hall of Fame Series on Nov. 4.
The Bearcats went 22-15 last season with a loss in the quarterfinals of the NIT, the same stage the Buckeyes reached before their postseason came to an end. Ohio State and Cincinnati last met on Nov. 22, 2022, resulting in an 81-53 win for the Buckeyes.
