The 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball schedule and season officially tips off Tuesday, November 3, 2026, against Manhattan at Rupp Arena, with the marquee Champions Classic meeting against Kansas in Chicago on November 10. Highlighting the non-conference slate is a December 19 clash with North Carolina at MSG, a November 20 showdown with Indiana in Indianapolis, and a highly anticipated matchup with Louisville at Rupp Arena. With the SEC’s June 25 opponent reveal, the Cats now know 30 of their 32 games for 2026-27; the final two nonconference dates are still to be finalized. SEC play begins in January 2027, with all games airing on ESPN, ABC, and the SEC Network.
Last Updated: June 25, 2026
2026-27 Kentucky Basketball: Quick Facts
- Conference: SEC.
- 2025-26 finish: 22-14.
- Season: tips off November 3, 2026 vs Manhattan; Champions Classic vs Kansas on November 10.
- SEC Tournament: March 10-14, 2027 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN.
- Schedule and printable: 30 of 32 games set; SEC opponents announced June 25, 2026, with 2 nonconference dates still TBA.
2026-27 Kentucky Basketball Schedule
Here’s what we know about the 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball schedule so far. We will see a lot more movement as we move through the summer. The number of regular season games allowed this season is up to 32 from 31 now, so we’ll see 5-8 more games added with the schedule confirmed usually by the start of school / Labor Day.
**Updates 5/27: The Louisville and Indiana games now have confirmed dates. More to come. The printable will be updated once the times are set for those games and more are added.
Note: Early November “buy games” and the ACC/SEC Challenge opponent will be finalized in Summer 2026.
Note2: All games are of course subject to change until UK confirms the official schedule. Where you see exact dates have been confirmed by sources.
| Date | Time (ET) / TV | Opponent | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 3 | TBA | vs Manhattan | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Fri, Nov 6 | TBA | vs James Madison | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Tue, Nov 10 | TBA | vs Kansas (Champions Classic) | United Center | Chicago, IL |
| Fri, Nov 13 | TBA | vs Northern Arizona | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Mon, Nov 16 | TBA | vs Grambling State | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Fri, Nov 20 | TBA | vs Indiana | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN |
| Wed, Dec 2 | TBA | at Virginia (ACC/SEC Challenge) | John Paul Jones Arena | Charlottesville, VA |
| Tue, Dec 8 | TBA | vs Bryant | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Sat, Dec 12 | TBA | vs Louisville | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 2:30 PM / CBS | vs North Carolina (CBS Classic) | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY |
| Tue, Dec 22 | TBA | vs Sacred Heart | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| Mon, Dec 28 | TBA | vs Gardner-Webb | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| SEC Conference Play — dates, times & TV announced later this summer | ||||
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Alabama (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Arkansas (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Auburn (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs LSU (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Ole Miss (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs South Carolina (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Tennessee (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Texas A&M (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | vs Vanderbilt (SEC) | Rupp Arena | Lexington, KY |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Florida (SEC) | Exactech Arena (O’Connell Center) | Gainesville, FL |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Georgia (SEC) | Stegeman Coliseum | Athens, GA |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Mississippi State (SEC) | Humphrey Coliseum | Starkville, MS |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Missouri (SEC) | Mizzou Arena | Columbia, MO |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Oklahoma (SEC) | Lloyd Noble Center | Norman, OK |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Ole Miss (SEC) | The Pavilion at Ole Miss | Oxford, MS |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Tennessee (SEC) | Food City Center | Knoxville, TN |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Texas (SEC) | Moody Center | Austin, TX |
| TBD (Jan–Mar 2027) | TBA | at Vanderbilt (SEC) | Memorial Gymnasium | Nashville, TN |
[FREE DOWNLOAD] 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball Printable Schedule (PDF)
Our high-resolution printable schedule is updated in real-time as tip-off times and TV networks are finalized. Includes the full 18-game SEC rotation and all neutral-site “mega-games.”
Key 2026-27 Schedule Storylines
- SEC Gauntlet Revealed: The SEC released conference opponents and home/away designations on June 25, 2026. Kentucky drew home-and-home series with preseason Top 25 foes Tennessee and Vanderbilt, hosts Alabama and Arkansas at Rupp Arena, and faces road tests at No. 1 Florida, plus Texas and Missouri. Dates, tip times and TV will be announced later this summer.
- The Indiana Date Locked: The renewal of the classic border war with the Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium is officially locked in for Friday, November 20, 2026. Acting as a marquee pre-Thanksgiving showcase, the stadium floor setup is tracking toward record-setting college attendance figures.
- Battle of the Bluegrass Fixed: The exact date for the 59th installment of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry has been finalized. The Cardinals will visit Rupp Arena on Saturday, December 12, 2026. Television broadcast windows and exact tip times will be mapped out by national networks later this summer.
- Preseason Foreign Tour Shelved: Despite early speculation from analysts regarding a late-summer international trip to the Bahamas, insider reports from Kentucky sports networks indicate an overseas exhibition tour is highly unlikely to materialize for Mark Pope’s roster this summer.
2027 College Basketball Resources
It’s never too early to look at the March Madness schedules. Here are the confirmed schedules and blank brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments in 2027. If the committee expands the tournament for 2027, we’ll update these for you too.
- 2027 Men’s March Madness Schedule & Printable Bracket
- 2027 Women’s March Madness: Official Schedule, Bracket, and Printable PDF
Frequently Asked Questions: 2026-27 UK Basketball
Is Kentucky playing St. John’s this year? There is no confirmed game against St. John’s for the 2026-27 season. While there is a strong possibility both programs want to play, TV “footprint” clauses between FOX and CBS have made scheduling the matchup difficult.
Who does Kentucky play in the 2026 Champions Classic? Kentucky will face Kansas on November 10, 2026, in Chicago.
Is there a Bahamas tournament this year? While Kentucky is not currently scheduled for a regular-season tournament in the Bahamas (like the Battle 4 Atlantis), the team is exploring a preseason foreign tour to the islands for exhibition play.
When does Kentucky play North Carolina in 2026? > Kentucky faces North Carolina on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The game will tip off live at 2:30 PM ET and will air nationally on CBS.
When is the Kentucky vs. Indiana game?
- Kentucky will face Indiana on Friday, November 20, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
When is the Kentucky vs. Louisville game?
- The highly anticipated baseline rivalry match is officially scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2026, live at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Is Kentucky basketball going on a foreign tour to the Bahamas this summer?
- No. While early preliminary options were evaluated by the scheduling staff, a summer international exhibition trip has officially been ruled out for the Wildcats’ 2026 prep cycle.
Related Resources
Browse all teams on our 2026-27 men’s college basketball hub, see the 2027 SEC Tournament bracket, and follow the 2027 March Madness bracket.
