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The Kentucky Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers are finally renewing their long-standing basketball rivalry.
According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Wildcats vs. Hoosiers will return to our lives in the 2025-26 season at Rupp Arena.
The following year will see the two teams play at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana, then back to Rupp Arena the ensuing season, and finally, the two will face off at Assembly Hall in the 2028-29 season.
That means we’re just two years away from one of the best college basketball rivalries returning to the hardwood.
UK has since confirmed the news in a press release while adding dates for all four matchups:
- December 20th, 2025 at Rupp Arena in Lexington (KY)
- December 27th, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (IN)
- December 18th, 2027 at Rupp Arena in Lexington (KY)
- December 16th, 2028 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington (IN)
Kentucky head coach John Calipari actually announced the return of this series back at SEC Media Days in 2022, though we’ve not heard much on the series since then, so it’s good to finally see some real confirmation.
Kentucky last faced Indiana in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, where the Hoosiers won 73-67 in the Round of 32.
Before that, the Wildcats defeated the Hoosiers in the 2012 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 en route to winning the national championship. That same season saw Indiana beat Kentucky at Assembly Hall, which turned out to be the final matchup of the regular-season series.
Thankfully, that series is breathing life again and will be back at Rupp Arena in two years.
As it stands, Kentucky leads the all-time series with Indiana by a 32-25 margin.
Be sure to check out Big Blue History for more on what’s easily one of the best historic rivalries in college basketball.
To any #iubb fans complaining about location for the 4 UK-IU basketball games. IU AD Scott Dolson just told me the 2026-27 game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy will be an Indiana home game with the Hoosiers controlling the majority of the 43,000 tickets.
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) October 3, 2023
NEWS: Indiana and Kentucky have finalized the game sites of their four-year series, which will begin during the 2025-26 season, according to a source.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 3, 2023
2025-26: Rupp Arena
2026-27: Lucas Oil Stadium
2027-28: Rupp Arena
2028-29: Assembly Hallhttps://t.co/1usrfTmNYW
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