In December, Nashville made an aggressive bid into the world of non-conference, neutral-site men’s college basketball games, an increasingly profitable lane for destination cities with available arenas during November and December. Bridgestone Arena played host to back-to-back matchups between Gonzaga and Kentucky (a blowout win for the Zags), and Tennessee and Illinois (a convincing Illini win over the in-state Vols). On Saturday, Bridgestone is adding to its college basketball menu with the inaugural Nashville Hoops Showdown between No. 15-ranked Virginia and Ohio State. Although not at the heights of the national-championship-producing Tony Bennett era, the Hoos have slowly inched their way up the AP Top 25 rankings this season. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes find themselves squarely on the March Madness bubble. If The Ohio State University is going to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2022, a win on Saturday will be a huge step in the right direction.
7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena
501 Broadway
