Cincinnati Bearcats, NKU Norse to play home-and-home men's basketball series

Tom Groeschen | Cincinnati Enquirer

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The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team will start a four-game series next season with the Bearcats' one-year hosts from 2017-18, the Northern Kentucky University Norse.

Neither school has issued a press release about the series, but UC athletic director Mike Bohn said Thursday that the two schools will be playing a four-game home-and-home series. There will be two games at each school, beginning in the 2018-19 season at UC. The games will be played over the next seven years, Bohn said, with dates to be announced.

"We agreed to a four-game series as part of our agreement to play on their campus last season," Bohn said via text.

UC played its 2017-18 home games at NKU's BB&T Arena, with the Bearcats' Fifth Third Arena undergoing an $87 million renovation. UC will return to its campus home for the 2018-19 season, with NKU among the opponents.

UC paid about $650,000 to play at NKU last season. The agreement stated that the two schools would play two home-and-home series sometime in the years after Fifth Third is renovated.

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NKU made 10 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances – including national runner-up finishes in 1996 and 1997 – before transitioning to Division I six years ago. The Norse gained national attention with a 2017 Division I NCAA Tournament appearance, followed by an NIT bid in 2018.

"We recognize the growth of their athletic enterprise as a fit into the way (UC coach) Mick (Cronin) has consistently managed our RPI and nationally recognized program," Bohn said.

UC has made eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under Cronin, who next season will enter his 13th year as Bearcats head coach.

UC is 7-0 all-time against NKU in the regular season. The two schools also have met in preseason exhibitions, but the Bearcats media guide shows that the two programs have not played in the regular season since a 75-63 UC win on Nov. 27, 1988 at Cincinnati Gardens.