As the calendar turns to July 2025, the college basketball world, and particularly the fervent fanbase of the Kentucky Wildcats, eagerly awaits the full unveiling of the 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule under new head coach Mark Pope. While some significant pieces have fallen into place, many details, including specific dates and tip-off times for a large portion of the SEC schedule, remain officially “up in the air,” leaving fans to sift through a mix of confirmed matchups, intriguing rumors, and hopeful speculation.
The process of building a college basketball schedule is a complex dance involving conference agreements, multi-team events (MTEs), rivalry games, and the strategic pursuit of a strong strength of schedule. For Kentucky, a program that consistently aims for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, every non-conference opponent and the structure of their SEC slate are carefully curated.
On June 18, 2025, the Southeastern Conference provided a crucial piece of the puzzle by announcing the home and away designations for each school’s 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule. The SEC slate will once again feature an 18-game schedule, running from early January to early March. Kentucky, as expected, will play all 15 league foes at least once.
The confirmed home-and-home opponents for Kentucky, meaning they will play both at Rupp Arena and on the road, are:
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Vanderbilt
Kentucky’s confirmed home-only SEC opponents for 2025-26 include:
- Georgia
- Mississippi State
- Missouri
- Oklahoma (new conference member)
- Ole Miss
- Texas (new conference member)
And their confirmed road-only SEC opponents are:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Auburn
- LSU
- South Carolina
- Texas A&M
While these opponents are set, the specific dates, times, and television information for the vast majority of these SEC matchups are still to be announced at a later date, typically closer to the fall. Fans will be eager to mark their calendars for marquee matchups like the home-and-home series with Tennessee, the first SEC home games against new members Oklahoma and Texas, and tough road tests at places like Alabama and Auburn.
Kentucky’s non-conference schedule is always a highlight, designed to challenge the Wildcats early and build a strong resume for March Madness. Under Mark Pope, this appears to be no different, with a challenging slate shaping up. Several key matchups and events have been either confirmed or strongly reported:
- Champions Classic: This annual early-season premier event is a staple for Kentucky. They are reportedly set to face Duke on November 12, 2025, at a neutral site (likely a major arena like Madison Square Garden) with a 9 p.m. ET tip-off on ESPN. This is a marquee game that will immediately test the Wildcats and provide a national spotlight.
- ACC/SEC Challenge: Kentucky will participate in the second iteration of this inter-conference challenge, reportedly hosting North Carolina at Rupp Arena on December 2, 2025. This renews a historic rivalry and guarantees another high-profile home game.
- CBS Sports Classic: This multi-team event is another familiar fixture. Kentucky is reportedly slated to face Ohio State in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on December 20, 2025.
- Louisville: The annual in-state rivalry against Louisville is confirmed, with Kentucky playing at the KFC Yum! Center on November 11, 2025. This is always one of the most anticipated games on the schedule, regardless of records.
- Gonzaga: After several recent matchups, the highly anticipated game against Gonzaga is reportedly set for December 7, 2025, at a neutral site in Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena). This has quickly become a compelling new rivalry.
- Indiana: A major announcement that thrilled Big Blue Nation was the return of the rivalry with Indiana. The two storied programs will begin a four-year series, with the first game on December 13, 2025, at Rupp Arena. This marks Indiana’s first trip to Lexington since the 2010-11 season and revives one of college basketball’s most passionate non-conference rivalries.
- Other Confirmed Home Games: Kentucky has officially announced several other non-conference home games at Rupp Arena:
- November 4 vs. Wright State
- November 9 vs. Bucknell
- November 19 vs. Lipscomb
- November 22 vs. Jackson State
- November 26 vs. Western Kentucky
- November 29 vs. Georgia State
- December 11 vs. Colgate
- December 31 vs. Brown
- October 23 (exhibition) vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
- October 29 (exhibition) vs. Minnesota State
- Clemson: Kentucky is also set to play at Clemson on December 3, 2025, with a 9:30 p.m. ET tip-off on ESPN. This adds another strong road test against an ACC opponent.
- St. John’s: Reports also indicate a neutral-site game against St. John’s on December 20, 2025, possibly as part of the CBS Sports Classic. However, the search results also showed Ohio State as the CBS Sports Classic opponent, suggesting either conflicting reports or multiple MTEs. More clarity is needed here.
Despite these significant confirmations, several aspects of Kentucky’s 2025-26 schedule are still awaiting official release or finalization:
- Full SEC Schedule Dates and Times: As noted, while the home and away opponents are known, the specific dates and tip-off times for the 18-game conference slate are largely TBD. The SEC typically releases these details closer to the fall, often in August or September.
- Remaining Non-Conference Games: While a significant portion of the non-conference schedule is out, it’s typical for teams to play around 13-15 non-conference regular season games (or up to 31 total games under current NCAA rules, moving to 32 starting 2026-27), plus 1-2 exhibition games. Kentucky has filled a good chunk of these, but there might be one or two more additions, particularly around any multi-team events that haven’t been fully detailed.
- Exact Venues for Neutral Site Games: While some neutral sites (like Nashville for Gonzaga, Atlanta for Ohio State) are known, final confirmation on all specifics for these events is often pending.
- Television Designations: For many of the non-conference games and most of the SEC slate, the specific television networks (ESPN, SEC Network, CBS, etc.) and exact tip-off times are yet to be announced. These often come out in phases as networks finalize their broadcasting schedules.
- Big Blue Madness and Blue/White Scrimmage Details: While dates for Big Blue Madness (October 11) and the Blue/White Preseason Event (October 18) are set, more specific details regarding format, participants (if any special guests), and broadcast information are usually released closer to the events.
Generally, college basketball schedules unfold in stages:
- Late Spring/Early Summer (May-June): Initial trickle of announcements, often involving major non-conference events (MTEs, rivalry games, early season challenges). Conference opponents (home/away) for league play are often revealed by June.
- Summer (July-August): The bulk of non-conference schedules are typically finalized and announced. Major conferences unveil their complete conference slates, including specific dates, times, and TV.
- Early Fall (September-October): Final adjustments, exhibition game details, and all television designations are usually confirmed, providing the complete picture before practices begin in earnest.
For Kentucky fans, the waiting game continues, but the picture for the 2025-26 season is becoming increasingly clear. With a challenging non-conference slate featuring perennial powers and renewed rivalries, coupled with a rigorous 18-game SEC schedule that now includes Texas and Oklahoma, Mark Pope’s first full season as head coach promises to be a gauntlet. The confirmed games already paint a compelling picture, and the anticipation for the remaining pieces to fall into place will only build as the fall approaches.
