Louisville Report

Report: Date Set for 2024-25 Louisville-Kentucky Matchup

The Battle of the Bluegrass reportedly has a date.

Matthew McGavic

Louisville's Mike James goes in for a shot in the second half against Kentucky
Louisville's Mike James goes in for a shot in the second half against Kentucky / Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We now have our first scheduling details regarding the 2024-25 iteration of the annual Battle of the Bluegrass between the Louisville and Kentucky men's basketball programs.

The Cardinals will travel to Rupp Arena to face the Wildcats on Saturday, Dec. 14,according to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. A tip-off time and television designation were not reported.

This will be the earliest that Louisville and Kentucky will have faced off in the regular season since playing on Nov. 27 during the 1993-94 season. The earliest in a season that the two rivals have ever squared off was Nov. 26 during the 1983-84 - their first matchup following the "Dream Game" in the 1993 Elite Eight.

Next season's Battle of the Bluegrass will mark a brand new chapter in the storied history between the Louisville and Kentucky men's basketball programs. The Cardinals hired Charleston's Pat Kelsey as head coach after the firing of Kenny Payne, while the Wildcats hired BYU's Mark Pope after John Calipari left for Arkansas.

On the Louisville side of things, it has been a massive but supremely successful roster rebuild for Kelsey and his staff. After all 12 scholarship players entered the portal following Payne's firing, the Cardinals brought in 13 newcomers - 12 Division I transfers and one high school prospect.

As a result, Louisville was not only recently dubbed the No. 4 team in the ACC per power rankings from 247Sports, but college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman inked them as a preseason top-25 team.

The Cardinals' non-conference schedule for the 2024-25 season is still a while away from being complete. The only known games up to this point are the Kentucky game, and their three to-be-determined matchups in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

(Photo of Mike James: Michael Clevenger - Courier Journal / USA)

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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