Today, we finally got the dates for Kentucky’s SEC schedule — well, most of them. Some of the midweek dates are still to be determined, and there are no tip times yet, but at least we have a clearer view of the Cats’ 18-game SEC slate — and it’s a doozy. Before I share my […]
Today, we finally got the dates for Kentucky’s SEC schedule — well, most of them. Some of the midweek dates are still to be determined, and there are no tip times yet, but at least we have a clearer view of the Cats’ 18-game SEC slate — and it’s a doozy.
Before I share my takeaways, here’s the entire schedule as we know it. There are still three non-conference games yet to be announced, which I’ll touch on as well.
Kentucky Basketball’s 2025-26 Schedule (as we know it)
| Date (Day) | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 24 (Fri.) | Purdue (Exhibition) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Oct. 30 (Thu.) | Georgetown (Exhibition) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Nov. 11 (Tue.) | at Louisville | KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY) |
| Nov. 18 (Tue.) | vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic) | Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) |
| Nov. 21 (Fri.) | Loyola (Md.) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Nov. 26 (Wed.) | Tennessee Tech | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Dec. 2 (Tue.) | North Carolina (ACC/SEC Challenge) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Dec. 5 (Fri.) | vs. Gonzaga | Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) |
| Dec. 9 (Tue.) | North Carolina Central | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Dec. 13 (Sat.) | Indiana | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Dec. 20 (Sat.) | vs. St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic) | State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA) |
| Dec. 23 (Tue.) | Bellarmine | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Jan. 3 (Sat.) | at Alabama (SEC) | Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, AL) |
| Jan. 6/7 (Tue./Wed.) | Missouri (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Jan. 10 (Sat.) | Mississippi State (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Jan. 13/14 (Tue./Wed.) | at LSU (SEC) | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Baton Rouge, LA) |
| Jan. 17 (Sat.) | at Tennessee (SEC) | Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center (Knoxville, TN) |
| Jan. 20/21 (Tue./Wed.) | Texas (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Jan. 24 (Sat.) | Ole Miss (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Jan. 27/28 (Tue./Wed.) | at Vanderbilt (SEC) | Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, TN) |
| Jan. 31 (Sat.) | at Arkansas (SEC) | Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, AR) |
| Feb. 3 (Tue.) | Oklahoma (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Feb. 7 (Sat.) | Tennessee (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Feb. 14 (Sat.) | at Florida (SEC) | Exactech Arena (Gainesville, FL) |
| Feb. 17/18 (Tue./Wed.) | Georgia (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| Feb. 21 (Sat.) | at Auburn (SEC) | Neville Arena (Auburn, AL) |
| Feb. 24/25 (Tue./Wed.) | at South Carolina (SEC) | Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC) |
| Feb. 28 (Sat.) | Vanderbilt (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| March 3/4 (Tue./Wed.) | at Texas A&M (SEC) | Reed Arena (Bryan-College Station, TX) |
| March 7 (Sat.) | Florida (SEC) | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
Still three more non-conference games coming
In its release, Kentucky said three non-conference games have yet to be announced. Based on a report from Rocco Miller in June, two of those could be against Valparaiso and Eastern Illinois as part of a multi-team event. Drew Franklin also shared on the radio show that he’s hearing Kentucky will host UT Rio Grande Valley, so maybe the Vaqueros are the third.
Either way, three more games are coming before this schedule is official enough to put on your fridge. Looking at the calendar, two of those will likely be in the first week of the season (which tips off on Monday, Nov. 3), providing a tune-up for the Louisville game on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The Friday after the Louisville game, Nov. 14, is a good spot for the third, or Kentucky could schedule one for the gap between Bellarmine on Dec. 23 and the SEC opener at Alabama on Jan. 3. Speaking of…
Two big-time bookends to SEC play
Kudos to SEC Associate Commissioner Garth Glissman for bookending this year’s conference schedule with big-time matchups. Kentucky will start SEC play at Alabama, aka the Mo Dioubate Bowl, on Saturday, Jan. 3. The Cats will wrap the regular season up by hosting defending national champs Florida at Rupp on Saturday, March 7, one heck of a Senior Day.
Glissman said the SEC intentionally stacked the opening and closing days of the schedule with big games to draw viewers in. January 3 is the first Saturday without college football. If the NFL flexes a few games to Saturday afternoon and evening, Kentucky vs. Alabama could lead into them. The SEC is even taking a page from college football’s book, dubbing March 7 “Rivalry Saturday.”
Clear your schedule for Jan. 3 and March 7 because you’re not going to want to leave your couch (unless it’s to cheer the Cats on in person).
Saturday, January 3
- Tennessee at Arkansas
- Auburn at Georgia
- Florida at Missouri
- Vanderbilt at South Carolina
- LSU at Texas A&M
- Mississippi State at Texas
- Ole Miss at Oklahoma
- Kentucky at Alabama
Saturday, March 7 – “Rivalry Saturday”
- Florida at Kentucky
- Texas A&M at LSU
- South Carolina at Ole Miss
- Georgia at Mississippi State
- Arkansas at Missouri
- Vanderbilt at Tennessee
- Oklahoma at Texas
- Auburn at Alabama
Kentucky at Arkansas will take center stage on Jan. 31
The other mega matchup on Kentucky’s SEC schedule is vs. John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this year’s game also takes place on the weekend before the Super Bowl. More eyes on Round 2 of Cats vs. Cal. Alabama vs. Florida and Auburn vs. Tennessee are also that day, setting up another big SEC Basketball Saturday.
If you’re going to Fayetteville, book your hotel or Airbnb now.
Valentine’s Day in Gainesville
Kentucky’s first matchup vs. Florida will take place on Valentine’s Day in Gainesville. I hope your significant other likes basketball; otherwise, start earning brownie points now.
Lots of big Saturday games, most on the road
We were treated to several big SEC Saturday home games last season. This season, the bulk of Kentucky’s biggest Saturday matchups take place on the road: at Alabama, at Tennessee, at Arkansas, at Florida, and at Auburn. Outside of Senior Day vs. Florida, the best Saturday home game is against Tennessee on Feb. 7. Travis Perry’s homecoming will take place on a Saturday, too, January 24.
Saturday SEC games
- Jan. 3: at Alabama
- Jan. 10: Mississippi State
- Jan. 17: at Tennessee
- Jan. 24: Ole Miss
- Jan. 31: at Arkansas
- Feb. 7: Tennessee
- Feb. 14: at Florida
- Feb. 31: at Auburn
- Feb. 28: Vanderbilt
- March 7: Florida
Kentucky’s mid-week bye comes at a good time
This year’s schedule once again features mid-week byes. Kentucky’s comes between Saturday, Feb. 7, a home game vs. Tennessee, and Saturday, Feb. 14, a road game at Florida. The Cats will need that breather. The three-week stretch between the game at Arkansas and the game at Auburn is brutal:
- Jan. 31: at Arkansas
- Feb. 3: Oklahoma
- Feb. 7: Tennessee
- Feb. 14: at Florida
- Feb. 17/18: Georgia
- Feb. 21: at Auburn
Hold court at home
We knew this schedule was tough before we got the dates; the fact that the biggest road games are taking place on Saturdays doesn’t help. Kentucky’s SEC home schedule is manageable, but the Cats must hold court at Rupp to offset whatever lumps they take on the road (only playing Alabama, Arkansas, and Auburn on the road is rough). If they do, we could be watching Kentucky vs. Florida for the SEC regular season title at Rupp on March 7.
Category: General Sports
