Kentucky men's basketball releases SEC schedule for 2025-26

LEX 18 — Following a historic year for the Southeastern Conference, Kentucky men's basketball now has its sights set on another competitive season in the SEC. The league unveiled the schedule for the upcoming season, and the Wildcats will begin and end league play against familiar foes.

Kentucky will travel to Alabama on the SEC's opening weekend, January 3rd, 2026. It will mark Mo Dioubate's return to Tuscaloosa. The Cats will end the regular season with a home game against Florida, the reigning National Champions and the former team of current Cat, Denzel Aberdeen, on March 7. The league will also spotlight Auburn at Alabama that same day, which will now be known as "Rivalry Saturday."

Photo by Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

The first SEC game inside Rupp Arena this season will bring Missouri to town on either January 6 or January 7.

Kentucky plays three league opponents both home and away: Tennessee (in Knoxville on Jan. 17; in Lexington on Feb. 7), Vanderbilt (in Nashville on either Jan. 27/28; in Lexington on Feb. 28) and Florida (in Gainesville on Feb. 14; in Lexington on March 7).

The Cats will play former coach John Calipari in Fayetteville on January 31.

Here is the SEC slate in its entirety:

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 television designations will be announced at a later date.

Additionally, UK is still expected to add three non-conference games.

Kentucky has already announced 10 games on its non-conference schedule, including a November trip to the KFC Yum! Center for an earlier-than-normal meeting with the Cardinals.

Other highlights on the non-conference schedule include a return to the Mecca to play Michigan State in the Champions Classic, two highly-anticipated home games against North Carolina and Indiana, a road trip to Music City to continue the series with Gonzaga, and a reunion with Rick Pitino in the CBS Sports Classic in mid-December.

The Cats will also host two exhibitions before the start of the official season: the Purdue Boilermakers come to town on Friday, Oct. 24 and the Georgetown Hoyas will visit Rupp Arena the following Thursday, Oct. 30.

Newly adopted NCAA rules permitting Division I programs to play in the preseason enabled the teams to add these early-season marquee contests to their schedules. Neither exhibition will count toward official records or statistics.

Men’s basketball season ticket renewals for the 2025-26 season are currently underway, with a deadline of Aug. 22. Renewals are now available online through each season ticket holders My UK Athletics Account.

Fans needing assistance with their online account are encouraged to contact the UK Ticket Office at (859) 257-1818 or send an email to uktickets@uky.edu.

BBN Tonight

RELATED: Kentucky women's basketball releases SEC schedule for 2025-26

For more on Kentucky men's basketball and all of the Wildcats, join us weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on BBN Tonight.