Kentucky Basketball announces 2024-25 Non-Conference Schedule
Pull up your calendar because we’ve finally got some games to put on it. Kentucky Basketball just released the 2024-25 non-conference schedule, which consists of 13 games. Nine of those are at home in Rupp Arena, three are at neutral sites, and one is a true road game, the SEC/ACC Challenge at Clemson.
We knew the big games, but some of the early games at Rupp are new. Following a pair of to-be-determined exhibitions, Kentucky will tip things off for real on Nov. 4 vs. Wright State at Rupp Arena, followed by a game vs. Bucknell (Nate Sestina’s alma mater) on Nov. 9. On Nov. 12, they’ll play Duke in the Champions Classic in Atlanta.
Once the Cats arrive home (with a victory over the Blue Devils), they’ll host the BBN Invitational, a multi-team event that includes Lipscomb (Nov. 19), Jackson State (Nov. 22), and Western Kentucky (Nov. 26). The game vs. Jackson State will be the fourth installment of the Unity Series, which aims to raise awareness of the missions of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and to raise funds to provide opportunities for students at their institutions.
Kentucky will close the month of November with a game vs. Georgia State at Rupp on Nov. 29. On Dec. 3, the Cats will travel to Clemson for the SEC/ACC Challenge, and four days later, head to Seattle to play Gonzaga. Kentucky will return to Rupp Arena on Dec. 11 to host Colgate and three days later, Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals come to town. On Dec. 21, the Cats head to New York City to play Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, and ten days later, on Dec. 31, they’ll host Brown to close the year out.
Kentucky’s SEC opponents for the 2024-25 season have been revealed but we’re still waiting on game times and TV information. The Cats will play all 15 teams in the conference with home-and-homes vs. Alabama, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.
Kentucky Basketball 2024-25 Schedule
- Nov. 4: Wright State
- Nov. 9: Bucknell
- Nov. 12: Duke (Champions Classic, Atlanta)
- Nov. 19: Lipscomb (BBN Invitational)
- Nov. 22: Jackson State (BBN Invitational, Unity Series)
- Nov. 26: Western Kentucky (BBN Invitational)
- Nov. 29: Georgia State
- Dec. 3: at Clemson (SEC/ACC Challenge)
- Dec. 7: Gonzaga (Battle for Seattle)
- Dec. 11: Colgate
- Dec. 14: Louisville
- Dec. 21: Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic, New York)
- Dec. 31: Brown
- TBD: Alabama
- TBD: Arkansas
- TBD: Auburn
- TBD: Florida
- TBD: LSU
- TBD: South Carolina
- TBD: Tennessee
- TBD: Texas A&M
- TBD: Vanderbilt
- TBD: at Alabama
- TBD: at Georgia
- TBD: at Ole Miss
- TBD: at Mississippi State
- TBD: at Missouri
- TBD: at Oklahoma
- TBD: at Tennessee
- TBD: at Texas
- TBD: at Vanderbilt
Here’s a look at each opponent, their results last season, and their history vs. Kentucky. Four teams are facing Kentucky for the first time: Brown, Bucknell, Colgate, and Jackson State.
| Opponent | 2023-24 Record | Postseason | Final NET Ranking | Final Ranking (AP/Coaches) | KenPom.com Final Ranking | Series History | Last Meeting |
| Alabama | 25-12 | NCAA Final Four | 9 | 3/4 | 14 | UK, 117-41 | UK won 117-95 on Feb. 24, 2024 |
| Arkansas | 16-17 | — | 115 | -/- | 108 | UK, 36-14 | UK won 111-102 on March 2, 2024 |
| Auburn | 27-8 | NCAA First Round | 5 | 18/17 | 4 | UK, 98-23 | UK won 70-59 on Feb. 17, 2024 |
| Brown | 13-18 | — | 177 | -/- | 191 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Bucknell | 14-19 | — | 277 | -/- | 276 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Clemson | 24-12 | NCAA Elite Eight | 35 | 14/15 | 19 | UK, 12-4 | UK won 76-61 on Nov. 29, 1997 |
| Colgate | 25-10 | NCAA First Round | 125 | -/- | 150 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Duke | 27-9 | NCAA Elite Eight | 10 | 9/9 | 7 | UK, 12-11 | Duke won 79-71 on Nov. 9, 2021 |
| Florida | 24-12 | NCAA First Round | 29 | RV/RV | 26 | UK, 110-42 | UF won 94-91OT on Jan. 31, 2024 |
| Georgia | 20-17 | NIT Semifinals | 100 | -/- | 84 | UK, 132-28 | UK won 105-96 on Jan. 20, 2024 |
| Georgia State | 14-17 | — | 222 | -/- | 218 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 73-46 on Dec. 6, 2005 |
| Gonzaga | 27-8 | NCAA Sweet 16 | 17 | 15/16 | 12 | GU, 2-1 | GU won 89-85 on Feb. 10, 2024 |
| Jackson State | 15-17 | — | 300 | -/- | 309 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Lipscomb | 20-12 | — | 166 | -/- | 166 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 88-50 on Dec. 15, 2012 |
| Louisville | 8-24 | — | 216 | -/- | 185 | UK, 39-17 | UK won 95-76 on Dec. 21, 2023 |
| LSU | 17-16 | NIT First Round | 94 | -/- | 95 | UK, 93-29 | LSU won 75-74 on Feb. 21, 2024 |
| Mississippi State | 21-14 | NCAA First Round | 31 | -/- | 34 | UK, 103-21 | UK won 91-89 on Feb. 27, 2024 |
| Missouri | 8-24 | — | 158 | -/- | 145 | UK, 15-3 | UK won 90-77 on Jan. 9, 2024 |
| Ohio State | 22-14 | NIT Quarterfinals | 49 | -/- | 49 | UK, 11-10 | OSU won 71-65 on Dec. 21, 2019 |
| Oklahoma | 20-12 | — | 46 | -/- | 46 | UK, 3-0 | UK won 76-64 on Nov. 22, 2010 |
| Ole Miss | 20-12 | — | 90 | -/- | 86 | UK, 111-14 | UK won 75-63 on Feb. 13, 2024 |
| South Carolina | 26-8 | NCAA First Round | 51 | 25/23 | 54 | UK, 54-15 | USC won 79-62 on Jan. 23, 2024 |
| Tennessee | 27-9 | NCAA Elite Eight | 7 | 5/5 | 5 | UK, 161-77 | UK won 85-81 on March 9, 2024 |
| Texas | 21-13 | NCAA Second Round | 30 | RV/RV | 25 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 63-51 on Dec. 5, 2014 |
| Texas A&M | 21-15 | NCAA Second Round | 45 | RV/RV | 35 | UK, 13-6 | TAMU won 97-87 on March 15, 2024 |
| Vanderbilt | 9-23 | — | 202 | -/- | 183 | UK, 157-49 | UK won 93-77 on March 6, 2024 |
| WKU | 22-12 | NCAA First Round | 136 | -/- | 135 | UK, 5-2 | UK won 95-60 on Dec. 22, 2021 |
| Wright State | 18-14 | — | 153 | -/- | 158 | UK, 4-0 | UK won 78-62 on Nov. 20, 2015 |
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