Holiday Basketball Tournament Replaces UCLA

A holiday college basketball tournament is making a change to its lineup, and it involves the UCLA Bruins men's team.

The CBS Sports Classic, played annually in various cities across the country since 2014, has announced that Kansas will be replacing the Bruins in the field going forward. UCLA had been part of the tournament since its debut in Chicago but dropped out of the 2025 edition in Atlanta due to travel concerns. It was replaced by St. John's, who lost to Kentucky and also will not return.

Kansas will join Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic, which has been extended through 2029, per release.

The 2026 CBS Sports Classic will be played on 12/19 at MSG and feature a doubleheader of Kansas/Ohio State and North Carolina/Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/l5BOuCvCI7
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 28, 2026

The other three teams, Ohio State, Kentucky, and North Carolina, will remain part of the field throguh 2029, beginning at Madison Sqaure Garden in New York City this December. It will air on The CBS Television Network and Paramount+.

UCLA's History in the CBS Sports Classic

UCLA had only missed the CBS Sports Classic twice since its debut season: 2025 for travel reasons and 2021 in Las Vegas due to COVID-19 protocols. The Bruins held a 3-7 record in 10 appearances, defeating Ohio State once and Kentucky twice. UCLA's last win in the event came against the Wildcats in 2022.

ucla tournamen — Dec 17, 2022; New York, New York, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) controls the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Jacob Toppin (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

However, the move is not a big surprise as CBS Sports reported that head coach Mick Cronin's travel concern grew from the timing of the mid-December event and the Bruins' subsequent demands throughout the season in an expanded Big Ten. Cronin has made several transparent comments about how bad the travel involved with the tournament was for his team, and it rarely had success in the games anyway.

Therefore, once UCLA officiallly pulled out of the 2025 event last spring, it was only a matter of time before a permanent replacement needed to be found.

What Does It Mean For UCLA?

ucla tournament — Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin instructs players on the court during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Based on Cronin's concerns, it's doubtful the Bruins will seek a replacement event. The publicity of playing against some historically great porgrams had to help everyone on some level, but Cronin seems rightfully focused on conference play, especially at that time of year.

Most teams use that week to rest up after the semester and get ready for the conference portions of their schedules, but playing on the other side of the country so often was a clear dertiment to the West Coast team. This year, UCLA stayed home and played a couple local teams right before Christmas and had an extended break into conference play.

Despite having to deal with injuries recently, it's turned out fine. The Bruins are 6-3 in the league and have a top-12 win (top-4 at the time) over Purdue. So, while it may disappoint some of the fanbase, UCLA no longer being involved with the CBS Sports Classic just made sense for the program.

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