The Kentucky-Michigan college basketball matchup scheduled for Dec. 6 in London has been postponed until 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic as part of a restructuring of their three-game series.
The schools were scheduled to highlight the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase doubleheader at the O2 Arena. Michigan will now host the Wildcats on Dec. 4, 2021, in Ann Arbor before the schools meet in London one year later. Kentucky will host the Wolverines in Lexington on Dec. 2, 2023.
Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame president and CEO John L. Doleva said in a statement that the "unknown combination" of health, safety, international travel regulations and the economic viabilities for all parties required postponing the event. The series also included Marist against UMBC.
Kentucky coach John Calipari said he is disappointed about not going to London and that he looked forward to meeting Queen Elizabeth II.
"But I'm glad we were all able to come together, figure this out and preserve this series for the future," Calipari said. "This was a tough decision for the Hall of Fame because we all want to play this game in London, but I support the group's decision in putting everyone's health concerns first and pushing a temporary pause on this."
Said Michigan coach Juwan Howard: "The Hall of Fame took the time to review what is happening around the world and explore all options -- all the safe options for the teams and most importantly the fans. The best thing is this tremendous event isn't canceled, it's just delayed."
Michigan and Kentucky have played seven times, with the Wildcats holding a 5-2 advantage in the series.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.