College basketball fans across Kentucky are united in outrage after learning the annual Kentucky-Louisville rivalry game has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, at the KFC Yum! Center. This marks the earliest the storied matchup has ever been played, breaking from its traditional December timeframe and triggering a wave of criticism from supporters of both programs.
Early-Season Matchup Devalues One of College Basketball’s Premier Rivalries
The scheduling decision has created rare common ground between the typically adversarial fanbases.
Reddit forums erupted with complaints about the Tuesday night timing and early-season placement, with one fan stating “This is beyond stupid. Just when this game was going to have some oomph again, we get this BS scheduling when neither team will have all the wheels in motion.”
Basketball enthusiasts argue the November timing fundamentally undermines the game’s significance.
“We want high level basketball” one fan commented noting that “no one wants it to come down to 2 teams that have barely played together.” Others pointed out the peculiar timing places the basketball matchup before the football teams even play their annual game.
The frustration centers on what many see as a missed opportunity to showcase one of college basketball’s iconic rivalries.
“Part of the reason we’re not considered THE premier rivalry is that tons of people don’t see it (or care about it) because it’s so early in the season” explained one Reddit user, suggesting “it would be so much better giving the game a permanent date on like the first Saturday of February.”
Many fans directed their anger toward television networks, with one simply declaring, “Nobody asked for this. ESPN sucks.” Another commenter suggested a more extreme solution “It’s time our state legislature steps in and prevents this bullshit from ever happening again. This game loses a ton of meaning being this early into the season.”
According to UK statistician Corey Price, the November scheduling is historically unusual, with the matchup occurring in November only twice previously (1983 and 1993). The 2025 contest will feature a Kentucky team that defeated Louisville 93-85 last season at Rupp Arena and now leads the all-time series 40-17.
Some fans proposed alternative solutions, with several advocating for a late-season showdown. “Play it on senior night in March. Make it meaningful,” suggested one commenter, while another recommended at minimum to “push it back a couple of weeks to coincide with the football game. Imagine the vitriol of that week between the two.”
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The game will be part of a challenging non-conference schedule for Kentucky that includes matchups with Purdue, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Indiana and St. John’s. But rather than excitement about the high-profile contest, the prevailing sentiment remains disappointment over its placement on the calendar.
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