Arizona men’s basketball has officially agreed to a multi-year with former Pac-12 rival UCLA, with the first game taking place this December in Phoenix.
The series will include three neutral site games across four years, beginning with a Dec. 14 matchup at Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns. Arizona and UCLA will meet again in 2025 at the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena) and again in 2027 in Los Angeles (site TBD).
The series ensures the short-term continuity of the Arizona-UCLA rivalry now that the Wildcats are in the Big 12 and the Bruins are part of the Big Ten.
“We are happy to work alongside UCLA to keep this series on the schedule moving forward,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said in a statement. “For decades, Arizona-UCLA games have meant so much to our players, coaches, and fans across the country. Icons in the game of basketball have made this rivalry into one of the best in college basketball, and we look forward to adding the next chapters in the years to come.”
Arizona is 6-2 against UCLA under Lloyd, including wins in the 2022 and 2023 Pac-12 Tournament championship games.
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin called the series “a win-win situation” for both programs.
“These are two schools with strong basketball traditions and passionate fan bases, and it’s important for us to find ways to continue playing each other,” Cronin said. “I have a lot of respect for Tommy Lloyd and the job that he has done the past three seasons at Arizona. His teams are talented and well-coached. Adding Arizona to our schedule next season will help our team as we move into Big Ten Conference play.”
The December tilt with UCLA gives Arizona another quality non-conference matchup. The Wildcats are scheduled to host Duke, play at Wisconsin, and play in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
An official non-conference schedule is expected to come out soon.
