The Kentucky Wildcats’ annual matchup with the Louisville Cardinals will take place much earlier this season than it ever has.
The two Bluegrass rivals will be facing off on Tuesday, November 11th, at the KFC Yum Center this year, UK announced on Wednesday. It’s the earliest the two teams have ever played each other and just the third time they’ve faced off in November.
UK has not said why the game is happening so early this season.
After this clash, the Cats will face the Michigan State Spartans a week later in the Champions Classic, so that’s two top-25 opponents within the first three weeks of the regular season, and that doesn’t include the preseason exhibition game vs. what should be a top-10 Purdue team.
The 2025-26 college basketball season will begin on Monday, November 3rd, so Kentucky will still likely get a couple of mid-major foes before facing the Cards and Spartans.
This upcoming season’s game between @KentuckyMBB and Louisville will be the earliest that it has ever been played (November 11th). The game has been played in the month of November just twice before (November 26th, 1983 and November 27th, 1993)
— Corey Price (@coreyp08) May 7, 2025
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