Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball will play a charity basketball game against Ohio State on Oct. 18. at Fifth Third Arena. Tip time and ticket information will be announced. The game will takes place during UC's Homecoming weekend as they face Arizona State Oct. 19 in football at Nippert Stadium.

The game will be called the CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health.

Season ticket holders will have priority access, followed by the general public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

"We are thrilled to participate in this exhibition with Ohio State and raise awareness for mental health initiatives," Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller said. "This game will be a great showcase for Fifth Third Arena and serve as a preview for our fans for what's in store for our 2024-25 team."

Cincinnati Bearcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Dayton Flyers, Xavier Musketeers all involved

This game joins an Oct. 20 contest between Dayton and Xavier as part of the fall series. All net proceeds from ticket sales will benefit mental health providers and charities within each school's footprint, along with Jay's Light, an organization begun by Dayton head coach Anthony Grant and his wife, Chris, to help mothers, fathers, teens and young adults find the resources to help with mental health struggles. Their daughter, Jay, died in 2022 at 20 as a result of mental illness.

"We're grateful to CareSource and thrilled to join Coach Grant and others in this important effort," Miller said. "Under John Cunningham's leadership, the health and wellness of our student-athletes has become a top priority for our department. Ensuring that our players have the resources they need to overcome any challenges on and off the court is important to us. We work closely every day with our sports psychology and wellness team, led by Dr. Lenecia Nickell, to make this a reality."

This is the 14th meeting between the schools, which includes Cincinnati defeating the Buckeyes in the 1961 and 1962 national championship games. The two teams also opened their 2018 and 2019 seasons against each other, with the former being the first contest in the newly renovated Fifth Third Arena.

Caresource Hoops Classic vs. Dayton tickets on sale

In addition to the Ohio State exhibition, tickets for the Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Dayton game at Heritage Bank Center Dec. 20 are on sale. They can be purchased at at HeritageBankCenter.com, Ticketmaster.com or through the Ticketmaster app.

Like last season's contest, the atmosphere inside Heritage Bank Center will have the two fan bases seated in separate halves of the arena. In the lower bowl, sections 112-128 will be designated for Cincinnati fans while sections 108-132 will be earmarked for Dayton fans.

Sections 110 and 130 at midcourt will each be divided among the schools as well. The upper bowl will be divided similarly.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats to host hoops exhibition vs. Ohio State Oct. 18