Cincinnati Bearcats, Dayton Flyers basketball to meet at Heritage Bank Center again

The Cincinnati Bearcat/Dayton Flyer basketball series will continue in the 2024-25 men’s basketball season when the longtime rivals clash at the Hoops Classic presented by CareSource on Dec. 20 at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati. The contest was announced Monday by veteran event promoter, bdG Sports.

Tip time and television information will be announced at a later date.

The Flyers defeated the Bearcats 82-68 victory over the Bearcats last season at a Flyer-friendly Heritage Bank Center last December. The matchup marked the first meeting between the two schools since 2010.

Cincinnati brings back four starters from its 2023-24 unit that finished 22-15 during its first season in the Big 12 Conference. Coach Wes Miller's Bearcats advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

Dayton returns three starters from last year’s squad that posted a 25-8 overall mark and finished third in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings. The Flyers earned a No. 7 seed in NCAA tournament, advancing to the second round under Coach Anthony Grant.

Cincinnati and Dayton have met 92 times with the Bearcats holding a 60-32 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.

Tickets please

Tickets go on sale starting Thursday, July 18 at 10 a.m., at HeritageBankCenter.com, Ticketmaster.com or through the Ticketmaster app.

Like last season’s contest, the two fan bases are scheduled to be seated in separate halves of the arena. The lower bowl, sections 112-128 will be designated for Cincinnati fans while sections 108-132 will be earmarked for Dayton fans. Sections 110 and 130 at midcourt will also be divided among the schools. The upper bowl will be divided in a similar fashion.

Early bird alert

Both UC and Dayton have presale opportunities for their fan bases. These availabilities began Monday, July 15 at 10 a.m.UC fans can use the code BEARCATS for seats in their allotted sections, with UD fans using the code FLYERS. Both schools have sent information to season ticket holders.