How to Watch Louisville vs. Kentucky in Battle of the Bluegrass

The Cardinals host the Wildcats for their annual rivalry showdown.

Dec 14, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) goes to the basket against Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While it might be earlier than it normally is, the Battle of the Bluegrass is now just around the corner, with the Louisville men's basketball program hosting Kentucky for a ranked version of their annual rivalry showdown.

Year two of the Pat Kelsey era for the Cardinals has gotten off to an explosive start. Louisville cruised to a 104-45 victory over South Carolina State in their opener, then followed that up with a 106-70 win over Jackson State. It's UofL's first time scoring 100 in back-to-back games since 2010, and their first time ever to open up a season

As for the Wildcats, year two under head coach Mark Pope has also gotten off to a 2-0 start. While their opener against Nicholls got off to a slow start, Kentucky still wound up capturing a 77-51 win, which was then promptly followed up by a 107-59 dismantling of Valparaiso.

This will be the 58th all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Wildcats holding a 40-17 edge. The Cardinals are not only on a three-game losing streak in the series, including a 93-85 last season in Rupp Arena, but have won just three times in the last 17 matchups.

This year's Battle of the Bluegrass is the earliest it has ever been in a 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.

No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at No. 11 Louisville Cardinals (2-0, 0-0 ACC)

• Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 8:00 p.m. EST
• Place: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
• TV: ESPN - Play-by-play and analyst TBD.
• Channel (Louisville)/Live Stream: Spectrum: 31; Dish: 140; DirecTV: 206.
• Radio (Louisville): 93.9 FM - Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst).

(Photo of J'Vonne Hadley: Jordan Prather - Imagn Images)

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