LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville women's basketball team will host Kentucky on Sunday, Dec. 12 as part of the 2021 Jimmy V Women’s Classic, ESPN announced on Wednesday. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.

The annual Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college men’s basketball coach and former ESPN commentator Jim Valvano, 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.

South Carolina will also host Maryland later that day as part of the series.

The men’s classic began in 1995, while the women’s event debuted in 2002. To date, ESPN has helped raise more than $134 million dollars for the V Foundation.

This year's showing marks the second straight season that the Cards have participated in the Jimmy V Women’s Classic. Last season, they charged forward with a record-setting 116-75 win over No. 20 DePaul at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

Louisville has come out on top in the last four meetings against the Wildcats. Two years ago on Dec. 15, 2019, Louisville won a 67-66 thriller at Rupp Arena. The Cardinals have an all-time 21-34 record against the Wildcats. 

UofL will return four starters – Olivia Cochran, Mykasa Robinson, Hailey Van Lith, Kianna Smith – from last year's team that reached No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, finished with a 26-4 overall record, a fourth consecutive ACC regular season title and a third straight trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.

Kentucky posted an 18-9 mark last season, 9-6 in SEC play, under first-year head coach Kyra Elzy. The Wildcats entered the NCAA Tournament as a 4-seed and fell 86-72 to Iowa in the second round.