Louisville will host Kentucky WBB this year in 2021 Women's Jimmy V Classic

(Britney Howard | UK Athletics)

After a brief one-year hiatus, the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry is coming BACK this winter.

On Wednesday, UK Athletics announced that the Louisville Cardinals Women’s Basketball Team will play host to Kentucky Women’s Basketball as part of the 2021 Women’s Jimmy V Classic on Sunday, December 12 at 1 p.m. EST. ESPN will broadcast the game live from inside of the KFC Yum! Center.

The date has been set! Let's go 🐱

Click the link below for more information. ⬇️

💻 https://t.co/CRUo3Py2AF#BBN #ElzyEra pic.twitter.com/56nWCoebe2

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) August 4, 2021

“The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college men’s basketball coach and former ESPN commentator Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which was founded by Valvano in 1993 to fund game-changing cancer research and scientists to eradicate the disease. The men’s classic began in 1995, while the women’s event debuted in 2002. Both events are part of ESPN’s V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to provide important messaging to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise more than $134 million dollars for the V Foundation.” — UK Athletics

Due to a shortened COVID-19 inflicted season in 2020-21, the two teams did not face off for the first time since 1973-74, when Kentucky was finally allowed to resume playing women’s basketball after a 50-year absence. Louisville won the most recent matchup, a 67-66 thriller in Rupp Arena in Dec. 2019, and has taken the last four meetings overall. In total, though, Kentucky leads the all-time series 34-22.

This year’s outing will surely be a tough contest for both sides. Kentucky returns the majority of its core from last season while Louisville brings back four starters from a squad that made the Elite 8 just a season ago. The Wildcats will likely start out in the top 15 while the Cards could crack the top five. Rhyne Howard is 0-2 in her career against Louisville, so you know she’s looking to snag a rivalry victory in her final college season. This will also be the first full season as head coach of UK for Kyra Elzy.

The finalized 2021-22 season schedule is expected to drop soon, but we already know who the ‘Cats will face in SEC play. Kentucky will host games vs. Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, while traveling to face Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.

[UK Athletics]