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Ohio State Adds Auburn To Finalize 2024-25 Non-Conference Schedule, Will Play In Atlanta 

By August 5, 2024 (11:49 am)Basketball

Ohio State finalized its 2024-25 nonconference schedule on Monday morning by adding another marquee matchup against an SEC team, as the Buckeyes are headed South to take on Auburn at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Dec. 14. The time and network of the game has yet to be announced, but the game will be a part of the “Holiday Hoopsgiving” event. 

Auburn is the fourth SEC team on Ohio State’s nonconference schedule, which includes one more power conference game against Pitt at home on Nov. 29. The Buckeyes will open their season with a neutral site game against Texas — who officially joined the SEC this July — on Nov. 4 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, while they will visit Texas A&M to conclude a home-and-home series on Nov. 15 and face off against Kentucky at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21 as part of the annual CBS Sports Classic. 

While Kentucky may be the most intriguing nonconference matchup for the Buckeyes this season, Auburn may be the toughest. The Tigers, led by 11th-year head coach Bruce Pearl, are coming off their third straight season of 20 or more wins, going 27-8 in 2023-24 on their way to a second-place regular place finish in the conference and SEC Tournament championship, the program’s first since 2018-19. 

The Tigers, who were upset by Yale in the first round of the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed, return some of their top performers from last season, including last season’s leading scorer and first-team All-SEC forward/center Johni Broome and starting guard/forward Chad Baker-Mazara, while they also added five-star guard Tahaad Pettiford and Furman transfer JP Pegues, among others. 

With Auburn now on the schedule, Ohio State has completed a difficult 2024-25 schedule that will likely test the program in head coach Jake Diebler’s first full-time season as head coach. In addition to the power conference matchups, the Buckeyes also play some notable mid-major opponents, including Green Bay on Nov. 25, Valparaiso — Diebler’s alma mater — on Dec. 17 and Indiana State on Dec. 29. 

Ohio State’s full nonconference schedule can be seen below.

  • Nov. 4 – Texas (In Las Vegas)
  • Nov. 11 – Youngstown State 
  • Nov. 15 – @Texas A&M 
  • Nov. 19 – Evansville 
  • Nov. 22 – Campbell 
  • Nov. 25 – Green Bay 
  • Nov. 29 – Pitt
  • Dec. 14 – Auburn (In Atlanta) 
  • Dec. 17 – Valparaiso
  • Dec. 21 – Kentucky (In New York)
  • Dec. 29 – Indiana State
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