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, Kentucky has rounded out the nonconference slate with home games against Appalachian State on December 5 and Wichita State during Thanksgiving week (date to be announced), both at Rupp Arena, plus an October 16 exhibition against Arkansas-Little Rock. All 32 games for 2026-27 are now set, with tip times and TV still to be announced. SEC play begins in January 2027, with all games airing on ESPN, ABC, and the SEC Network.
Last updated October 7, 2026: tip times and TV networks are now official for all 35 games after the SEC released its full 2026-27 schedule. The table and printable below reflect the confirmed slate; a few national windows (ESPN or ESPN2) are still tentative.
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: all 30 games set; the full 18-game SEC slate now set with dates (released July 2026); game times and TV still to be announced.
2026-27 Kentucky Basketball Schedule
Here’s what we know about the 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball schedule so far. SEC slate confirmed on July 27th. We’ll see tipoff times and TV networks next here in the coming weeks.
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 | Opponent | Location | Tip (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibitions | ||||
| Fri, Oct 16 | Little Rock (exh.) | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Texas Tech (exh.) | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Wed, Oct 28 | UCF (exh.) | Rupp Arena | 6:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Regular Season | ||||
| Tue, Nov 3 | Manhattan | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Fri, Nov 6 | James Madison | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Tue, Nov 10 | vs Kansas | United Center, Chicago | 9:30 PM | ESPN |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Northern Arizona | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Mon, Nov 16 | Grambling State | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Fri, Nov 20 | vs Indiana | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indy | 8:00 PM | CBS |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Wichita State | Rupp Arena | 9:00 PM | ESPN2 |
| Wed, Dec 2 | at Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | 7:15 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Appalachian State | Rupp Arena | 1:00 PM | SECN+ |
| Tue, Dec 8 | Bryant | Rupp Arena | 7:30 PM | ESPN2 |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Louisville | Rupp Arena | 4:00 PM | ABC |
| Sat, Dec 19 | vs North Carolina | Madison Square Garden | 2:30 PM | CBS |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Sacred Heart | Rupp Arena | 1:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Mon, Dec 28 | Gardner-Webb | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Sat, Jan 2 | at Oklahoma | Norman, OK | 12:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Tue, Jan 5 | Ole Miss | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Sat, Jan 9 | at Missouri | Columbia, MO | 4:00 PM | ESPN2 |
| Wed, Jan 13 | LSU | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Sat, Jan 16 | Vanderbilt | Rupp Arena | 4:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Wed, Jan 20 | at Mississippi State | Starkville, MS | 8:30 PM | SEC Network |
| Sat, Jan 23 | Tennessee | Rupp Arena | 2:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2/U |
| Sat, Jan 30 | at Texas | Austin, TX | 12:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Tue, Feb 2 | at Ole Miss | Oxford, MS | 9:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 6 | Alabama | Rupp Arena | 2:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Tue, Feb 9 | South Carolina | Rupp Arena | 8:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Sat, Feb 13 | at Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | 4:00 PM | ESPN |
| Tue, Feb 16 | at Georgia | Athens, GA | 7:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 20 | Arkansas | Rupp Arena | 4:00 PM | ESPN |
| Tue, Feb 23 | at Vanderbilt | Nashville, TN | 9:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 27 | Auburn | Rupp Arena | 4:00 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Tue, Mar 2 | Texas A&M | Rupp Arena | 7:00 PM | ESPN2/U |
| Sat, Mar 6 | at Florida | Gainesville, FL | 4:30 PM | ESPN |
[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.
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.
