LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Tar Heels are coming to Lexington for the first time since 2014. The Kentucky men’s basketball program will host North Carolina on Dec. 2 inside of Rupp Arena as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. A TV designation and tip time will be announced at a later date.
This marks the third installment of the event between the two conferences. In the inaugural matchup, Kentucky downed No. 8 Miami in Rupp Arena in 2023-24 by a 95-73 margin. Clemson edged the Cats last season 70-66 in Clemson, South Carolina. The Southeastern Conference dominated the second year of the challenge with the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning 14-2. The SEC’s margin of victory in the 14 wins was 16.2 points, while its margin in the two losses was just 3.5 points last season.
North Carolina leads the all-time series with the Wildcats, 25-18, although UK has won three of the last four meetings and five of the last seven overall. Kentucky is 8-6 against the Tar Heels when the game is played in Lexington.
This marks the first edition of the series since the 2023-24 season where the Cats earned an 87-83 win in the CBS Sports Classic. UK has won three straight inside of Rupp Arena, with those wins coming during the 2014-15 season, the 2011-12 season and the 2009-10 season.
