Ohio State basketball is on the rise, and they're not shying away from proving it. After snapping a four-year NCAA Tournament drought last season—even if a heartbreaking first-round exit left fans wanting more—the Buckeyes are hungry for redemption. Head coach Jake Diebler has been busy reloading through the transfer portal and securing a five-star talent in wing Anthony Thompson. The message is clear: Ohio State is ready to climb back among the Big Ten and national elite.

And what better way to measure that climb than by facing the best? According to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, the Buckeyes have agreed to a home-and-home series with the UConn Huskies, one of college basketball's modern powerhouses. This season, Ohio State will travel to Storrs to take on the Huskies on their home floor. Next year, UConn will make the return trip to Columbus. It's a classic two-year showdown that promises intensity on both ends.

This will be the seventh meeting between the two programs, with Ohio State holding a 4-2 edge. The last matchup came in 2016, a tight 64-60 Buckeyes victory. But UConn is a different beast today. Under head coach Dan Hurley, the Huskies have won two national titles and appeared in another championship game in just four years. Last season, they came within a whisker of cutting down the nets again, falling to Michigan in the title game. This series is a true measuring stick for Diebler's squad.

The UConn games are just the latest additions to a nonconference schedule already stacked with marquee matchups for the 2026-27 season. The Buckeyes will also travel to Notre Dame and face Kansas and BYU in neutral-site contests. No official dates for the UConn games have been announced yet, but when they drop, you can bet the basketball world will be watching.

Whether you're repping Buckeyes red or Huskies blue, this is the kind of rivalry that makes college basketball great. And for Ohio State, it's another step toward proving they're back among the nation's best.