UK basketball game times and TV info have been finalized. Here’s how to watch
The 2025-26 Kentucky men’s basketball schedule is now pretty much set.
New details regarding the SEC portion of the Wildcats’ upcoming slate were released Tuesday, with the league offering up tipoff times, TV information and finalized dates for Kentucky and the rest of their league rivals.
Over the past few days, UK has announced times and TV info for every nonconference game. So, there are now no more holes remaining on the Wildcats’ schedule.
Kentucky will begin the second season of the Mark Pope era with a 7 p.m. tip against Nicholls on Nov. 4 in Rupp Arena. The Cats will then host Valparaiso at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7, with both of those games streaming live on SEC Network+.
Then comes the Nov. 11 game at Louisville, which has been set for 8 p.m. on ESPN. Other marquee matchups on the nonconference portion of the schedule will be: Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) on Nov. 18 in New York; North Carolina at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN) on Dec. 2 in Rupp; Gonzaga at 7 p.m. (ESPN2) on Dec. 5 in Nashville; Indiana at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) on Dec. 13 in Rupp; and St. John’s at 12:30 p.m. (CBS) on Dec. 20 in Atlanta.
The game against St. John’s will be the only non-ESPN matchup on UK’s regular-season schedule. Five regular-season games — plus the Oct. 30 exhibition against the Georgetown Hoyas in Rupp — will stream on SEC Network+, and the rest of the Cats’ games will be shown on traditional ESPN channels and SEC Network.
Some highlights from the SEC portion of the schedule (all times ET):
- The league opener at Alabama is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, and that one will be shown on ESPN.
- Kentucky’s rivalry series with Tennessee renews Saturday, Jan. 17, in Knoxville (noon on ESPN), and the Vols will visit Rupp on Saturday, Feb. 7 (8:30 p.m. on ESPN).
- The Wildcats get another shot at John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks — this time at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville — at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, with that game set for ESPN.
- Defending NCAA champion and SEC preseason favorite Florida is on UK’s schedule twice this season. Game 1 will be Saturday, Feb. 14, in Gainesville (3 p.m. on ABC), and the rematch will also serve as the regular-season finale: Saturday, March 7, in Rupp (4 p.m. on either ESPN or ESPN2).
Big Blue Madness is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Saturday, with SEC Network+ streaming that event live from Rupp Arena. That service will also be the home for the Blue-White Game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, in Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky vs. Purdue in Rupp Arena — one of the most-anticipated exhibition games in UK basketball history — is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, and will be on SEC Network. That will be the Wildcats’ preseason opener and the first look at the Pope’s squad against outside competition, and the Boilermakers could end up as the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25.
2025-26 UK men’s basketball schedule
Oct. 24: 1-PURDUE, 6 p.m. (SEC)
Oct. 30: 1-GEORGETOWN, 7 p.m. (SEC+)
Nov. 4: NICHOLLS, 7 p.m. (SEC+)
Nov. 7: VALPARAISO, 7 p.m. (SEC+)
Nov. 11: At Louisville, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Nov. 14: EASTERN ILLINOIS, 7 p.m. (SEC+)
Nov. 18: 2-Michigan State, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Nov. 21: LOYOLA (MARYLAND), 7 p.m. (SEC+)
Nov. 26: TENNESSEE TECH, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Dec. 2: 3-NORTH CAROLINA, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 5: 4-Gonzaga, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dec. 9: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Dec. 13: INDIANA, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 20: 5-St. John’s, 12:30 p.m. (CBS)
Dec. 23: BELLARMINE, 1 p.m. (SEC+)
Jan. 3: At Alabama, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 7: MISSOURI, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 10: MISSISSIPPI STATE, 8:30 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 14: At LSU, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 17: At Tennessee, noon (ESPN)
Jan. 21: TEXAS, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 24: OLE MISS, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 27: At Vanderbilt, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 31: At Arkansas, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 4: OKLAHOMA, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Feb. 7: TENNESSEE, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 14: At Florida, 3 p.m. (ABC)
Feb. 17: GEORGIA, 9 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Feb. 21: At Auburn, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Feb. 24: At South Carolina, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Feb. 28: VANDERBILT, 2 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
March 3: At Texas A&M, 7 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU)
March 7: FLORIDA, 4 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
March 11-15: 6-SEC Tournament
1-Exhibition game; 2-Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York; 3-ACC/SEC Challenge game in Rupp Arena; 4-at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville; 5-CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta; 6-SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM.
