DETROIT – College basketball madness takes over the Motor City when defending National Champion Michigan battles Louisville on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Veteran event-promoter bdG Sports announced the game Friday. The showdown is slated to tip at noon ET and will be televised by NBC/Peacock.
The game will feature two teams who will be ranked among the Top 25 in the nation with the new season begins in November. Michigan will debut its new head coach, Mike Boynton and will return Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney from last year’s title squad. The Wolverines also bolstered its lineup with transfers J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati).
“There’s a tremendous passion for basketball in the city of Detroit, and we’re excited for the opportunity to bring our team to LCA,” Boynton said. “Bringing two programs like Michigan and Louisville together will create a great environment. We know it will be a challenge, but these are the types of games you want to play. It’s great for our team, great for our fans, great for downtown Detroit, and a great showcase for college basketball.”
Head Coach Pat Kelsey has quickly rebuilt the Louisville program heading into his third season at the helm. The Cardinals hammered the portal this past offseason with transfers Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas), Álvaro Folgueiras (Iowa) and Flory Bidunga (Kansas). UNC transfer Seth Trimble will give the Cards one of the best backcourts in the country if he is able to gain eligibility for his fifth season.
“We’re really excited for what should be an incredibly competitive matchup against Michigan in early December,” Kelsey said. “Iron sharpens iron and we’ve made an intentional effort to play some of the best teams in the nation during our non-conference schedule. It should be an electric neutral site environment, and we’ll be ready for the challenge.”
The game in Detroit will mark only the sixth meeting between the two schools. Louisville holds a 4-1 advantage over the Wolverines including a 58-43 win in 2019, the last matchup in the series. Louisville also beat Michigan in the 2013 NCAA National Championship game in Atlanta.
Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET at https://www.313presents.com or on the Ticketmaster App. For the latest information, follow @bdglobalsports on social media.