Kentucky announces non-conference schedule for 2023-24
The wait is over, Big Blue Nation. Kentucky’s non-conference schedule is here, and it’s beautiful, one featuring nine home matchups at Rupp Arena, one true road game and three neutral-site matchups.
A select number of opponents and dates have already been officially announced, along with a few other matchups reported along the way. Now, though, it’s complete from top to bottom, with the Southeastern Conference schedule, along with TV networks and game times announced at a later date.
What can fans expect in the non-conference? Following two to-be-determined exhibition matchups, Kentucky will open the home slate vs. New Mexico on Nov. 6, followed by a trip to Chicago for the Champions Classic vs. Kansas on Nov. 14. The Cats will then wrap up the month with an ACC/SEC Challenge contest against Miami on Nov. 28, followed by a head-to-head battle vs. North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 16 in Atlanta. From there, a true road battle at Louisville on Dec. 21 while later hosting Gonzaga inside Rupp Arena on Feb. 10.
The others mixed between? Kentucky will face Texas A&M University-Commerce (Nov. 10), Stonehill (Nov. 17) and Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 20) in the three-game Wildcat Challenge. The Wildcats will also take on Marshall (Nov. 24), UNC-Wilmington (Dec. 2) and Illinois State (Dec. 29) at home, along with a matchup against Penn at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Dec. 9.
In SEC play, the Cats will take on permanent home-and-away opponents Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt along with playing Arkansas and Mississippi State twice in the regular season. Along with those five teams, Kentucky will host Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Missouri and travel to Auburn, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
In all, the Wildcats will face 10 teams who reached the 2022-23 NCAA Tournament a total of 13 times this season. Kentucky will take on five Sweet Sixteen teams from a year ago.
Kentucky’s complete non-conference schedule
- Nov. 6: vs. New Mexico State | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Nov. 10 vs. Texas A&M University-Commerce | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Nov. 14: vs. Kansas | Champions Classic | United Center, Chicago, IL
- Nov. 17: vs. Stonehill | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Nov. 20: vs. St. Joseph’s | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Nov. 24: vs. Marshall | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Nov. 28: vs. Miami | ACC/SEC Challenge | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Dec. 2: vs. UNC Wilmington | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Dec. 9 @ Penn | Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Dec. 16: vs. North Carolina | CBS Sports Classic | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
- Dec. 21 at Louisville | KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
- Dec. 29 vs. Illinois State | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Feb. 10: vs. Gonzaga | Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
And a few notes about each opponent, courtesy of UK Athletics:
| Opponent | 2022-23 Record | Postseason | Final NET Ranking | Final Ranking (AP/Coaches) | KenPom.com Final Ranking | Series History | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico State | 9-15 | — | 191 | -/- | 187 | UK leads 1-0 | UK won 82-60 on March 12, 1999 |
| Texas A&M-Commerce | 13-20 | — | 306 | -/- | 307 | Never met | First meeting |
| Kansas | 28-8 | NCAA Second Round | 9 | 4/11 | 9 | UK leads 24-11 | KU won 77-68 on Jan. 28, 2023 |
| Stonehill | 14-17 | — | 310 | -/- | 331 | Never met | First meeting |
| Saint Joseph’s | 16-17 | — | 201 | -/- | 191 | UK leads 2-0 | UK won 102-72 on March 20, 1997 |
| Marshall | 24-8 | — | 83 | -/- | 83 | UK leads 12-0 | UK won 82-54 on Dec. 22, 2012 |
| Miami | 29-8 | NCAA Final Four | 21 | 16/3 | 24 | UK leads 3-1 | UofM won 73-67 on Dec. 6, 2008 |
| UNC-Wilmington | 24-10 | — | 141 | -/- | 152 | Never met | First meeting |
| Penn | 17-13 | — | 138 | -/- | 126 | UK leads 5-0 | UK won 86-62 on Jan. 3, 2011 |
| North Carolina | 20-13 | — | 44 | -/- | 43 | UNC leads 25-17 | UK won 98-69 on Dec. 17, 2021 |
| Louisville | 4-28 | — | 314 | -/- | 290 | UK leads 38-17 | UK won 86-63 on Dec. 31, 2022 |
| Illinois State | 11-21 | — | 283 | -/- | 289 | UK leads 1-0 | UK won 75-63 on Nov. 30, 2015 |
| Gonzaga | 31-6 | NCAA Elite Eight | 8 | 9/10 | 8 | Series is tied 1-1 | GU won 88-71 on Nov. 20, 2022 |
| Tennessee | 25-11 | NCAA Sweet 16 | 5 | 20/16 | 6 | UK leads 160-77 | UK won 66-54 on Feb. 18, 2023 |
| Arkansas | 22-14 | NCAA Sweet 16 | 20 | -/21 | 22 | UK leads 34-14 | UK won 88-79 on March 4, 2023 |
| Alabama | 31-6 | NCAA Sweet 16 | 2 | 1/4 | 4 | UK leads 116-41 | UA won 78-52 on Jan. 7, 2023 |
| Texas A&M | 25-10 | NCAA First Round | 28 | 17/25 | 33 | UK leads 13-4 | UK won 76-67 on Jan. 21, 2023 |
| Mississippi State | 21-13 | NCAA First Four | 53 | -/- | 53 | UK leads 101-21 | UK won 71-68 on Feb. 15, 2023 |
| Auburn | 21-13 | NCAA Second Round | 35 | -/- | 32 | UK leads 97-23 | UK won 86-54 on Feb. 25, 2023 |
| Florida | 16-17 | NIT First Round | 73 | -/- | 74 | UK leads 109-41 | UK won 82-74 on Feb. 22, 2023 |
| Vanderbilt | 22-15 | NIT Third Round | 81 | -/- | 81 | UK leads 155-49 | VU won 80-73 on March 10, 2023 |
| Georgia | 16-16 | — | 157 | -/- | 154 | UK leads 131-28 | UGA won 75-68 on Feb. 11, 2023 |
| Missouri | 25-10 | NCAA Second Round | 47 | 23/- | 57 | UK leads 14-3 | MU won 89-75 on Dec. 28, 2022 |
| Ole Miss | 12-21 | — | 129 | -/- | 122 | UK leads 110-14 | UK won 75-66 on Jan. 31, 2023 |
| LSU | 14-19 | — | 153 | -/- | 151 | UK leads 93-28 | UK won 74-71 on Jan. 3, 2023 |
| South Carolina | 11-21 | — | 235 | -/- | 221 | UK leads 54-14 | USC won 71-68 on Jan. 10, 2023 |
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