Kansas center Udoka Azubuike (35) fights for a rebound between Kentucky forward Nick Richards (4) and Kentucky forward Kevin Knox (5) during the first half on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 at United Center.

The University of Kansas men’s basketball team will face fellow blue blood Kentucky for the fifth straight season in 2018-19, the schools announced Thursday.

The Jayhawks will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The game becomes the marquee contest on a 2018-19 schedule that already featured non-conference clashes with Michigan State (Nov. 6 in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis) and defending national champion Villanova (Dec. 15 at Allen Fieldhouse).

KU also will play in the preseason NIT Nov. 23-25 in New York City, with two games against a field that includes Louisville, Marquette and Tennessee, Stanford at home on Dec. 1 and at Arizona State on Dec. 22.

“When you talk about the ones that people nationally would recognize, I mean, that’s a pretty loaded schedule,” KU coach Bill Self said a couple of days ago on the March Madness 365 podcast with Andy Katz. “So it’ll be a difficult schedule, especially with a young group.”

That was before he knew about the KU-Kentucky game. After learning that matchup would be on the 2018-19 schedule, as well, Self added: “Having the top two winningest programs in college basketball puts the Kansas-Kentucky game in the national spotlight and the Big 12/SEC Challenge and Champions Classic has allowed this game to happen much more the past few years. This is normally a very competitive game and our players look forward to playing in it.”

The latest edition of the blue blood battle between KU and UK will be the seventh time the teams have faced each other since 2011-12. KU has won the last three matchups, including a 65-61 victory during the Champions Classic at the start of last season.

The games of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge will be televised by several ESPN channels, and the network will host its College GameDay program from the site of one of the day’s matchups, the announcement said.

Recent rivalry: Kansas-Kentucky

Nov. 14, 2017 — KU 65, UK 61 (Champions Classic in Chicago)

Jan. 28, 2017 — KU 79, UK 73 (in Lexington)

Jan. 30, 2016 — KU 90, UK 84, OT (SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Lawrence)

Nov. 18, 2014 — UK 72, KU 40 (Champions Classic in Indianapolis)

April 2, 2012 — UK 67, KU 59 (NCAA Championship in New Orleans)

Nov. 15, 2011 — UK 75, KU 65 (Champions Classic in New York)