The University of Memphis has confirmed that the basketball program’s most heated rivalry has been renewed. The Tigers will face the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, December 17, as part of the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout. The game will be played in Louisville and televised nationally on CBS, with tip-off at 3 p.m. central time. The Tigers will host the Cardinals during the 2012-13 season.
“Since I got this job two years ago, our fans have talked to me on numerous occasions about the Memphis-Louisville rivalry, and how much they want to renew the series,” said Memphis head coach Josh Pastner in a press release. “This is a great rivalry not only for the schools and their fans, but it’s also one of college basketball’s top rivalries. I have tremendous respect for Coach (Rick) Pitino and what he has done throughout his career and at Louisville. We are looking forward to an exciting and hard-fought game with the Cardinals.”
The December contest will be the 86th meeting between the rivals, with the Cardinals holding a 51-34 advantage in the series. The Louisville series is the second-longest in Tiger basketball history (behind only Southern Miss).
The 2011 meeting between Memphis and Louisville is the first since the two programs met in the 2005 Conference USA Tournament championship game. The Cardinals won that contest 75-74.
