John Calipari Confirms Return of Kentucky-Indiana Basketball Series in 2025-26
Kentucky coach John Calipari weighed in on the potential return of the Kentucky-Indiana basketball series on Wednesday at SEC Media Day.
"We've agreed in principle that we'll be playing them," Calipari said. "It'll start in '25-26. But it's at the administrative level now, so all the details will be worked out."
The matchups are not set in stone, but Calipari's comment on Wednesday is as close as it gets.
Reports of Indiana and Kentucky renewing an annual basketball rivalry series have swirled throughout the offseason. Last week, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported there will be on-campus and neutral site games. Back in May, Indiana coach Mike Woodson made his intentions clear.
"I'm not going to let it die," Woodson said. "I'm going to stay on [Calipari's] heels about getting the Kentucky-Indiana series back on the table because I just think over the years, man, that was a hell of a game, going to Lexington and them coming down to Bloomington."
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts on the sideline against the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half of the semifinals of the south region of the 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Georgia Dome.
Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana and Kentucky's last matchup came during the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Indiana defeated Kentucky 73-67 to advance to the Sweet 16 under coach Tom Crean. Thomas Bryant led the Hoosiers with 19 points, followed by 18 from Yogi Ferrell and 13 from Troy Williams. Tyler Ulis paced the Wildcats with 27 points, and Jamal Murray added 16.
The most recent regular season game was on Dec. 10, 2011 when Christian Watford hit an iconic 3-pointer at the buzzer to stun the No. 1 Wildcats. Watford's 20-point performance included a 4-for-6 night from 3, and Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls and Will Sheehey each finished with double-digit points. Doron Lamb led Kentucky with 19 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed 18 points and nine rebounds. Future No. 1 pick Anthony Davis dealt with foul trouble throughout the night, ending the game with six points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Related stories on Indiana basketball:
- INDIANA-KENCTUCKY SERIES GAINING MOMENTUM: Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson has pushed for annual series with Kentucky and John Calipari, and recent reports show that could be coming soon. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN NETWORK OFFERS B1G+ DISCOUNT: The Big Ten Network is offering a 50 percent discount on an annual Indiana-specific subscription service. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA OVERRATED?: The first Associated Press college basketball top-25 poll is out and Kyle Boone of CBSSports.com has Indiana as one of his three teams that are overrated. He thinks it's "much more likely IU finishes the season unranked than it finishes as the winner of the Big Ten.'' CLICK HERE
