When will Kentucky play basketball this season? SEC game times and TV info are now set.

Ben Roberts
·3 min read

The Southeastern Conference has finalized TV designations and tip-off times for the upcoming college basketball season, bringing Kentucky’s 2023-24 schedule one step closer to completion.

The Wildcats will tip off conference play at Florida on Jan. 6 at 12:30 p.m., and that game will be televised by ESPN. The SEC home opener against Missouri is set for Jan. 9 at 7 p.m., also on ESPN.

In all, nine of Kentucky’s 18 league games will be shown on ESPN, with the Cats’ home game against Mississippi State on Jan. 17 set for ESPN2 and another game — Florida in Rupp Arena on Jan. 31 — to be shown on either ESPN or ESPN2. That game against the Gators is the only one on the Wildcats’ conference schedule that does not yet have an assigned time, according to the schedule released by the league office Thursday afternoon.

Three of Kentucky’s conference games will get the national network TV treatment. CBS has the rights to all three of those matchups, which will be played over the final three Saturdays of the regular season: vs. Alabama (4 p.m. on Feb. 24), vs. Arkansas (1:30 p.m. on March 2) and at Tennessee (4 p.m. on March 9).

The other four games on UK’s schedule will be shown on SEC Network.

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves and the Wildcats will end the 2023-24 regular season against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on March 9.
Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves and the Wildcats will end the 2023-24 regular season against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on March 9.

Five of Kentucky’s conference games will be late tip-offs, with two 8:30 games (Tennessee at home on Feb. 3 and Vanderbilt in Nashville on Feb. 6), and three 9 p.m. matchups in Rupp Arena (Ole Miss on Feb. 13, LSU on Feb. 21, and Vanderbilt on March 6 in the home finale).

The SEC released dates for the 2023-24 season earlier this month. Kentucky will play two games each against Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The Wildcats will play every other team in the league once during the regular season.

The SEC Tournament is set for March 13-17 in Nashville.

Kentucky will officially tip off its preseason Oct. 13 with Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena.

Kentucky’s 2023-24 basketball schedule

Home games in all capital letters

Fri., Oct. 27: GEORGETOWN COLLEGE-x

Thu., Nov. 2: KENTUCKY STATE-x

Mon., Nov. 6: NEW MEXICO STATE

Fri., Nov. 10: TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE-1

Tues., Nov. 14: Kansas, (ESPN)-2

Fri., Nov. 17: STONEHILL-1

Mon., Nov. 20: SAINT JOSEPH’S-1

Fri., Nov. 24: MARSHALL

Tues., Nov. 28: MIAMI (FLA.), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)-3

Sat., Dec. 2: UNC WILMINGTON

Sat., Dec. 9: Penn, Noon (ESPN2) -4

Sat., Dec. 16: North Carolina, 5:30 p.m. (CBS)-5

Thurs., Dec. 21: At Louisville

Fri., Dec. 29: ILLINOIS STATE

Sat., Jan. 6: At Florida, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Tues., Jan. 9: MISSOURI, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Sat., Jan. 13: At Texas A&M, 3 p.m. (ESPN)

Wed., Jan. 17: MISSISSIPPI STATE, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Sat., Jan. 20: GEORGIA, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)

Tues., Jan. 23: At South Carolina, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)

Sat., Jan. 27: At Arkansas, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Wed., Jan. 31: FLORIDA, TBD (ESPN/2)

Sat., Feb. 3: TENNESSEE, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Tues., Feb. 6: At Vanderbilt, 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

Sat., Feb. 10: GONZAGA, 4 p.m. (CBS)

Tues., Feb. 13: OLE MISS, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Sat., Feb. 17: At Auburn, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Wed., Feb. 21: At LSU, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Sat., Feb. 24: ALABAMA, 4 p.m. (CBS)

Tues., Feb. 27: At Mississippi State, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Sat., March 2: ARKANSAS, 1:30 p.m. (CBS)

Wed., March 6: VANDERBILT, 9 p.m. (SEC Network)

Sat., March 9: At Tennessee, 4 p.m. (CBS)

x-Exhibition game; 1-Wildcat Challenge at Rupp Arena; 2-Champions Classic at United Center in Chicago; 3-ACC-SEC Challenge; 4-At the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia; 5-CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.