Following a record-breaking year for the Southeastern Conference, Kentucky men’s basketball now turns its attention to another challenging SEC campaign. The conference has officially released the schedule for the coming season, with the Wildcats opening and closing league play against long-time rivals.
Kentucky will visit Alabama on the SEC’s opening weekend, January 3rd, 2026, marking Mo Dioubate’s first game back in Tuscaloosa. The Wildcats will wrap up the regular season at home against Florida, the defending National Champions and former team of current Wildcat Denzel Aberdeen, on March 7. That same day, the SEC will highlight Auburn at Alabama as part of its newly named “Rivalry Saturday.”
Rupp Arena’s first SEC matchup of the season will feature Missouri on either January 6 or January 7.
Kentucky faces three conference foes in both home and road games: Tennessee (in Knoxville on Jan. 17; in Lexington on Feb. 7), Vanderbilt (in Nashville on Jan. 27/28; in Lexington on Feb. 28), and Florida (in Gainesville on Feb. 14; in Lexington on March 7).
The Wildcats will meet former head coach John Calipari in Fayetteville on January 31.
Here’s the complete SEC schedule:
Jan. 3: at Alabama
Jan. 6/7: vs. Missouri
Jan. 10: vs. Mississippi State
Jan. 13/14: at LSU
Jan. 17: at Tennessee
Jan. 20/21: vs. Texas
Jan. 24: vs. Ole Miss
Jan. 27/28: at Vanderbilt
Jan. 31: at Arkansas
Feb. 3: vs. Oklahoma
Feb. 7: vs. Tennessee
Feb. 14: at Florida
Feb. 17/18: vs. Georgia
Feb. 21: at Auburn
Feb. 24/25: at South Carolina
Feb. 28: vs. Vanderbilt
March 3/4: at Texas A&M
March 7: vs. Florida
Game times and TV assignments will be announced later.
Kentucky still plans to add three non-conference games.
The Wildcats have already revealed 10 non-conference matchups, including a November trip to the KFC Yum! Center for an earlier-than-usual meeting with Louisville.
Other non-conference highlights include a Champions Classic showdown against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden, home games against North Carolina and Indiana, a road trip to Nashville to continue the Gonzaga series, and a meeting with Rick Pitino in the CBS Sports Classic in mid-December.
The team will also host two exhibitions before the regular season: Purdue visits Rupp Arena on Friday, Oct. 24, followed by Georgetown on Thursday, Oct. 30.
New NCAA rules allowing Division I programs to play preseason games have enabled teams to schedule these high-profile matchups. Neither exhibition will affect official records or stats.
Season ticket renewals for 2025-26 are now open, with an Aug. 22 deadline. Fans can renew online through their My UK Athletics Account.
