The men's basketball game between Ohio State and Kentucky scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues in the Buckeyes' program, the school announced Thursday.
The game was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas as part of the CBS Sports Classic.
Kentucky said in a statement that event organizers were working with the school to find a replacement game for Saturday. As of Thursday afternoon, the No. 21st-ranked Wildcats were still planning to go to Las Vegas "in hopes of finding a game."
Former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino indicated on Twitter that his Iona squad was available. Iona's game on Saturday against Seton Hall was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Pirates' program.
.@KentuckyMBB if you need an opponent Saturday, we travel 😀
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) December 16, 2021
The next scheduled game for No. 15 Ohio State (8-2) is Tuesday against Tennessee-Martin.
The other game in Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to feature No. 4 UCLA and North Carolina, although the Bruins were forced to cancel their game on Wednesday against Alabama State due to COVID protocols.
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond tweeted Thursday he had no update on the status of Saturday's game yet.