Louisville vs. UConn: Women’s College Basketball Debut at ESPN Armed Forces Classic
The 2025-26 women’s college basketball season commences with a historic first. The ESPN Events Peraton Armed Forces Classic will feature the inaugural women’s matchup on November 4, 2025. Number 20 Louisville takes on the defending NCAA champion, number 1 UConn, at 5:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and available on the ESPN App.
Event Relocation and Overview
Originally set to occur at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the game has been moved to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This matchup holds special significance as it is part of the Armed Forces Classic, an event created to honor veterans through sports.
Commentary Team and Teams Overview
ESPN’s leading women’s basketball commentators, Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, and Holly Rowe, will provide the coverage from Alumni Hall. The Connecticut Huskies, under the leadership of veteran coach Geno Auriemma, look to extend their legacy as one of the most successful teams in college basketball history.
Armed Forces Classic Background
Inaugurated in 2012, the Armed Forces Classic is part of ESPN’s annual “America’s Heroes: Salute to Veterans” initiative. This program honors the contributions of military personnel. The classic has featured various locations, primarily on military bases and has included highly competitive matchups.
Previous Armed Forces Classic Locations
- 2012: Ramstein Air Base, Germany (UConn vs. Michigan State)
- 2013: Camp Humphreys, South Korea (Georgetown vs. Oregon)
- 2014: U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico (Minnesota vs. Louisville)
- 2015: U.S. Marine Corps Base Butler, Okinawa, Japan (Gonzaga vs. Pittsburgh)
- 2016: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (Arizona vs. Michigan State)
- 2017: Ramstein Air Base, Germany (Texas A&M vs. West Virginia)
- 2018: U.S. Army Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas (Texas vs. Arkansas)
- 2019: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska (Baylor vs. Washington)
- 2022: USS Abraham Lincoln, San Diego, California (Gonzaga vs. Michigan State)
The Armed Forces Classic was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Importance of ESPN Events
ESPN Events oversees a wide range of collegiate sporting events across the United States. The upcoming 2025-26 season features 35 events, including college football games, bowl games, basketball events, and more, reaching an impressive audience of over 60 million viewers.
This year will highlight more than 20 Division I conferences and showcase over 4,000 student-athletes, fostering connections among conferences, schools, and communities in the process. Follow ESPN Events on social media platforms for updates and highlights.
