Kansas, Kentucky to meet again next season in SEC/Big 12 Challenge

By Matt Tait May 24, 2018

Nick Krug

Kansas center Udoka Azubuike (35) fights for a rebound between Kentucky forward Nick Richards (4) and Kentucky forward Kevin Knox (5) during the first half on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 at United Center.

The University of Kansas men’s basketball team will face fellow blue blood Kentucky for the fifth straight season in 2018-19, the schools announced Thursday.

The Jayhawks will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The game becomes the marquee contest on a 2018-19 schedule that already featured non-conference clashes with Michigan State (Nov. 6 in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis) and defending national champion Villanova (Dec. 15 at Allen Fieldhouse).

KU also will play in the preseason NIT Nov. 23-25 in New York City, with two games against a field that includes Louisville, Marquette and Tennessee, Stanford at home on Dec. 1 and at Arizona State on Dec. 22.

“When you talk about the ones that people nationally would recognize, I mean, that’s a pretty loaded schedule,” KU coach Bill Self said a couple of days ago on the March Madness 365 podcast with Andy Katz. “So it’ll be a difficult schedule, especially with a young group.”

That was before he knew about the KU-Kentucky game. After learning that matchup would be on the 2018-19 schedule, as well, Self added: “Having the top two winningest programs in college basketball puts the Kansas-Kentucky game in the national spotlight and the Big 12/SEC Challenge and Champions Classic has allowed this game to happen much more the past few years. This is normally a very competitive game and our players look forward to playing in it.”

The latest edition of the blue blood battle between KU and UK will be the seventh time the teams have faced each other since 2011-12. KU has won the last three matchups, including a 65-61 victory during the Champions Classic at the start of last season.

The games of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge will be televised by several ESPN channels, and the network will host its College GameDay program from the site of one of the day’s matchups, the announcement said.

Recent rivalry: Kansas-Kentucky

Nov. 14, 2017 — KU 65, UK 61 (Champions Classic in Chicago)

Jan. 28, 2017 — KU 79, UK 73 (in Lexington)

Jan. 30, 2016 — KU 90, UK 84, OT (SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Lawrence)

Nov. 18, 2014 — UK 72, KU 40 (Champions Classic in Indianapolis)

April 2, 2012 — UK 67, KU 59 (NCAA Championship in New Orleans)

Nov. 15, 2011 — UK 75, KU 65 (Champions Classic in New York)

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52126Kansas, Kentucky to meet again next season in SEC/Big 12 Challenge

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.