The basketball rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and Georgetown College Tigers goes back to 1902. Georgetown College was one of Kentucky's major rivals early in its history. Because of difficulty traveling, Kentucky would make rivals with local schools such as Transylvania, Centre College, and Georgetown College, often playing all three every year.
Like most early rivalries of Kentucky, the Wildcats struggled to win, and fell to an early 8–1 series record, many of which were blow-outs. It was in 1907 when Kentucky finally broke Georgetown's hold over them, and would be another year when the roles were switched. Kentucky after 1908 would begin dominate the rivalry, only allowing Georgetown to win back to back once in the 1919 season.
By the end of the 1927 game Kentucky held a 27–15 record. The 1927 season was the last season Kentucky would travel to Georgetown, Georgetown's last win over Kentucky, and the start of Kentucky's eight-game win streak (1927–1938).
The series was resurrected twice, in 2005 and 2014 as exhibition games. By the new millennium, times had changed. Kentucky had stayed in NCAA Division I, while Georgetown enjoyed success in the NAIA. Just as they had left off, Kentucky defeated Georgetown in both games.