Kentucky announces five new non-conference opponents for 2025-26

Kentucky dance team members perform at Rupp Arena - Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

The schedule is coming together and it feels so good. Mark Pope wants all of the smoke when it comes to Kentucky taking on the toughest competition, and the non-conference slate is certainly looking the part, five new matchups finalized to go with the big-time opponents already confirmed for 2025-26.

“You guys will hear me say this until as long as I get to be here: If you’re coming to Kentucky, don’t come here and hide. It doesn’t make sense to come here and hide,” Pope told KSR this week.

The Wildcats will take on Loyola University Maryland on November 21, followed by Tennessee Tech on Nov. 26, North Carolina Central on Dec. 9, Indiana on Dec. 13 and Bellarmine on Dec. 23.

Kentucky Athletics Hall of Famer John Pelphrey is the head coach of Tenn. Tech, making that Nov. 26 game a homecoming opportunity inside Rupp Arena.

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Those matchups will overlap with big-time exhibition battles vs. Purdue on Oct. 24 and Georgetown on Oct. 30, followed by massive regular season showdowns vs. Louisville on Nov. 11, Michigan State on Nov. 18, Gonzaga on Dec. 5 and St. John’s on Dec. 20 — plus the to-be-determined SEC/ACC Challenge opponent, revealed at a later date.

It’s undoubtedly one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college basketball, leading to SEC play coming off a year where the league shattered the all-time record for most NCAA Tournament teams with 14.

10 of the 13 non-conference games are accounted for, including the SEC/ACC Challenge. Who else is coming? We’ll find out soon, but what we know now is that there won’t be any hiding for the Wildcats in year two under Pope.