LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two of the winningest college basketball programs in the history of the sport will meet again. The University of Kentucky and Indiana University will play four times in the upcoming seasons - twice in Lexington at Rupp Arena, once in Bloomington at Assembly Hall, and once in Indianapolis, inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
The reinvigorated series between the Wildcats and the Hoosiers is set to begin in Lexington on December 20th, 2025. It will be the first time the Hoosiers visit Rupp Arena since 2010.
The series schedule is:
Dec. 20, 2025 – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 27, 2026 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind. (IU home game)
Dec. 18, 2027 – Rupp Arena Central Bank Center, Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 16, 2028 – Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.
Kentucky currently sits at No. 2 in all-time wins (2,377 wins), with Indiana at No. 10 (1,913). The teams last met on March 19th, 2016, when the Hoosiers eliminated the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 32.
Before that, the teams hadn't played one another since the 2011-12 season. That year, Indiana was victorious inside Assembly Hall, with a one-point win over the Cats in the regular season.
Kentucky earned post-season revenge three months later, when the Cats defeated the Hoosiers 102-90 in the Sweet 16 before eventually winning the program's eighth NCAA Championship.
But the history of this rivalry dates back much further than the John Calipari era. These two schools first met in 1924.
Since 1969, Kentucky and Indiana played at least once a season through the 2011-12 season. There have been six overtime games throughout the history of the series, and either UK or IU has been ranked No. 1 in 11 of the 56 matchups.
Kentucky currently leads the all-time series, 32-25.
Both head coaches have commented on the status of the rivalry in recent years, with Coach Calipari announcing last year the programs had "agreed in principle" to playing each other in the future.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson had been adamant about his intentions, as well.
"I'm not going to let it die," Woodson said in 2022. "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."
Now, that's exactly what the programs and their fan bases with get - with an added game in Indianapolis.
“It’s great to renew this series, which is among the most competitive rivalries and storied traditions of college basketball,” UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said in a press release. “The matchup will resume its place as one of the nation’s most anticipated games of the season. This emanated from Coach Cal and Coach Woodson getting together and talking about playing again. I’ve enjoyed spending time with [Indiana AD] Scott Dolson and getting to know him better as we’ve worked out the details.”
“This is an exciting day for not only IU and UK Basketball, but college basketball,” said Dolson. “When you consider the history, the passion, and the proximity of our schools, this is a game that means a great deal to so many people. I appreciate Mitch Barnhart’s willingness to work together to resume what I believe to be college basketball’s best non-conference rivalry. I also appreciate the support of Coach Calipari and Coach Woodson and their desire to bring this series back. Their relationship is a big reason why we are able to make today’s announcement.”
“This is a really important rivalry to our fans and the game of college basketball and we’re happy to bring it back," Calipari said via press release. “Mike and I have been friends for years, and I have the utmost respect for him as a coach and as a man. Let’s do this!”
“This is a great day for our program and our fans,” Coach Woodson said. “Indiana-Kentucky is one of the best rivalries in college basketball, with so many great games over the years. We worked hard to get this done, and I could not be happier to be playing Kentucky once again.”
