CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia will play Kentucky in the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 20 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Game times and ESPN network designations will be announced at a later date.
Expanding from a single marquee matchup in its 2025 debut, this year’s event will feature a doubleheader including matchups between Virginia-Kentucky as well as UConn-LSU. Virginia and Kentucky each enter the 2026-27 season fresh off their first Sweet 16 appearances in more than a decade and will square off for the first time since 2019.
“We look forward to being a part of this high-level event on a national stage,” Virginia head women’s basketball coach Aaron Roussell said. “The opportunity to showcase our program against such a powerful opponent will be a great measuring stick for this new and young team. Our goal is to play against the nation’s best and to be grouped with these top programs for many events like this in the future.”
Tickets for the Dec. 20 doubleheader at Bridgestone Arena are set to go on sale this fall. Fans can secure first access to the beat seats now by registering for the pre-sale at www.espnWinvitational.com.
“Year two of the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational is a perfect example of what great partnership and shared priorities can achieve,” vice president of ESPN women’s sports programming & espnW Susie Piotrkowski said. “With four Women's College Basketball programs that combined for a Final Four appearance and three Sweet 16 runs last season taking the national stage, we couldn't be prouder to continue serving women's sports fans and delivering the caliber of competition they deserve.”