Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) goes for a layup against Kentucky Wildcats guard Jaxson Robinson (2) during their game on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Date Set for 2025-26 Louisville-Kentucky Matchup

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:14 AM ET

For years, the Louisville and Kentucky football programs would open up the season against each other. Now, their men's basketball programs could be doing the same next season.

The annual Battle of the Bluegrass between the Cardinals and Wildcats will take place on Tuesday, November 11, the program announced Wednesday. A tip-off time was not announced.

It goes without saying that this will be the earliest in a season that Louisville and Kentucky will have faced off against each other in the regular season, with the previous record being a matchup on Nov. 26 during the 1983-84 season. Since the rivalry became an annual matchup in the mid-1980's, it has traditionally been scheduled around Christmas and New Year's Day.

As it currently stands, the Battle of the Bluegrass is set to be Louisville's season-opener, although there will very likely be one or two games scheduled ahead of it considering the 2025-26 season starts the week prior. Kentucky is just the third known non-conference opponent that the Cards will face, as they will take on Indiana on Dec. 6 from Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis, then travel to Tennessee on Dec. 16.

The Cardinals will also play a yet-to-be-named opponent as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, and are also in talks with St. John's regarding a home-and-home series - although that has yet to be finalized.

Louisville is coming off of a successful year one under Kelsey. The Cardinals went 27-8 overall, winning more games than over the previous three seasons combined, resulting in Kelsey winning ACC Coach of the Year. UofL made their return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 - although it resulted in a first round exit to Creighton.