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Report: Date, Location Set for 2022-23 Louisville-Kentucky Matchup

The Battle of the Bluegrass reportedly has a date.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following a season where the annual Battle of the Bluegrass between the Louisville and Kentucky men's basketball programs had to be shelved, the details for the 2022-23 iteration of the rivalry showdown have reportedly been hammered out.

The Cardinals will travel to Rupp Arena to face the Wildcats on Saturday, Dec. 31, according to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. A tip-off time and television designation were not reported.

It will the first time since 2011 that the Battle of the Bluegrass will be held on New Year's Eve. Louisville won 62-59 in their previous meeting against Kentucky on Dec. 26, 2020 at the KFC Yum! Center.

Last season, the annual rivalry matchup had to be postponed just two days before their scheduled Dec. 22 tipoff due to "multiple positive COVID-19 tests among individuals within the [Louisville] program." Team activities were able to be resumed on Dec. 26, but the game was never rescheduled.

Because this game was never played, there were some questions regarding if the next Louisville-Kentucky game would honor the home-and-home rotation and take place at the KFC Yum! Center, or be played at Rupp Arena.

The Cardinals' non-conference schedule for the 2022-23 season is starting to take shape. They will host both Bellarmine and Western Kentucky, as well as travel to Kentucky. Louisville will also play three games in Hawaii as part of the Maui Invitational, as well as a yet-to-be-announced opponent in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

A previously reported matchup against Oklahoma State in the Armed Forces Classic will not be taking place.

Last season, Louisville suffered their first losing campaign in over two decades, going 13-19 and mutually separating with head coach Chris Mack midway through the season. The Cardinals hired Kenny Payne, a former national champion with Louisville as a player and longtime assistant coach at Kentucky, as their next head coach back on Mar. 18.

(Photo of David Johnson: Scott Utterback - Louisville Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Sports)

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