Series regularization and annual meetings (2010s)

In the early 2010s, athletic departments and coaches from Kentucky and Louisville agreed to schedule more frequent regular-season games against each other, often in late December or early January, turning the matchup into an anticipated annual event [10][5]. University of Kentucky athletics listings and media coverage from the period show a concentrated set of meetings arranged as non-conference showdowns that drew major attention from local and national outlets [10]. The decision to regularize meetings reflected recognition of the game's drawing power: increased ticket demand, television ratings and recruiting visibility all favored making the matchup a recurring fixture [5][10]. Administrators negotiated date windows and neutral-site options in some years and accepted home-and-home formats in others; the regularized series brought the rivalry into the national spotlight more routinely than it had been since sporadic postseason pairings in the 1980s [10]. The on-court product during these annual matchups delivered high-level talent and frequently featured nationally ranked teams, which further raised stakes and attention for the rivalry [5].

Regularized annual meetings transformed the rivalry from occasional marquee events into a seasonal cultural touchpoint for Kentucky basketball fans statewide. The predictable scheduling increased recruitment and media narratives around the matchup and allowed coaches and programs to prepare for the game's recruiting and branding implications with more certainty [10][5].

The annual late-December/early-January meetings continued through much of the 2010s and contributed to memorable contests, including the 2012 Final Four subplot and later regular-season classics. Institutional decisions about scheduling were later revisited in the wake of program controversies and conference changes, but the decade established the expectation of near-annual Kentucky–Louisville meetings [10][5].