The 2025-26 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball schedule has been finalized, as we now have game times and TV channels for the entire schedule.
After an exhilarating Year 1 of the Mark Pope era, the Cats will end the new season as a preseason top-10 team after checking in at No. 9 overall in the first AP Top 25 Poll.
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It just so happens that Kentucky is vying for championship number nine, so that’s definitely a spot the team likes to be in.
“I was elated that we came in at No. 9. We see nine everywhere we go,” said Pope.
Big Blue Madness ushered in the new season on October 11 at 6:00 PM ET on the SEC Network+ channel via online stream. That will be followed by the Blue-White Game on October 17 at 7:00 pm PM ET, also available on SEC Network+.
Kentucky will then play a pair of exhibition games against the Purdue Boilermakers (October 24) and Georgetown Hoyas (October 30) before the real fun begins.
The Wildcats tip off the regular season on November 4 vs. the Nicholls State Colonels. After a November 7 date with Valparaiso, the Cats face their first major test of the season on November 11 on the road vs. the Louisville Cardinals in a potential top-10 matchup.
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A week later, the Cats will take on Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
The month of December will provide Kentucky with a bevy of potential top-25 matchups, including home games vs. North Carolina (Dec 2) and Indiana (Dec 13), a Nashville showdown with Gonzaga (Dec 5), and a CBS Sports Classic with Rick Pitino’s and St. John’s (Dec 20).
SEC play opens January 3 at Alabama, while the conference home opener is the following week vs. the Missouri Tigers.
The Cats will conclude conference play on March 7 at home for Senior Day vs. defending National Champion Florida.
Kentucky will play 21 regular-season games against NCAA Tournament teams from last season, seven Sweet 16 teams, and five Elite Eight squads, including two games vs. the Gators.
Kentucky Basketball Schedule 2025-26
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