AUBURN, Ala. – For the fifth-consecutive year, the Auburn men’s basketball program will take part in Holiday Hoopsgiving held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
This year’s edition will pit the Tigers against Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 14, at a time still to be announced. It will be the second all-time meeting between the two schools having last met in the 1999 NCAA Sweet 16 (L, 64-72) in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Buckeyes are the second Big Ten Conference opponent on AU’s schedule next to a neutral-site showdown with national runner-up Purdue on Saturday, Dec. 21, in Birmingham.
“Playing every year in Atlanta in the premiere college basketball event has been an important part of the development of this program,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “We were the first and have been the only SEC school to play every year in this important event for college basketball in Atlanta – home to some of the best high school basketball in America. In the last six years, we have had six players from Georgia (Isaac Okoro, Chuma Okeke, JT Thor, Sharife Cooper, Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler) drafted into the NBA.
“Chris Williams (Chief Executive Officer of The VII Group) is a first-class promoter and has been able to attract incredible historical championship programs to the event. So happy to see Coach (Jake) Diebler take over last year and then be named head coach at Ohio State. He is truly a rising star with one of the most athletic teams in the Big Ten. The pace of this game should be fast and furious and fun to watch. Auburn Family, let’s sell State Farm Arena out.”
Auburn is 3-1 all-time in Holiday Hoopsgiving games having met Memphis in 2020 (W, 74-71), Nebraska in 2021 (W, 99-68), Memphis in 2022 (L, 73-82) and Indiana in 2023 (W, 104-76).
The tournament field also includes games between Florida-Arizona State and Georgia-GCU.
For more information including tickets, please visit: www.holidayhoopsgiving.com