UK MBB Schedule Continues to Take Shape with TV Announcements
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s basketball team will once again be one of the most televised teams in the country with the release of the majority of its TV designations and tip times for the 2017-18 season.
The complete Southeastern Conference TV schedule was unveiled Wednesday by the league office. In addition, several of the Wildcats’ nonconference games are now set by the major television networks.
Thus far, every regular-season game UK will play in this season will be on national television. Kentucky’s exhibition games, Big Blue Madness, Blue-White Scrimmage and the SEC Tournament will also air on national television.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network) will also be available through the ESPN app, which is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Each of the CBS Sports games will be available to stream live in markets across the U.S. via the CBS All Access subscription service, with additional coverage on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app.
In addition to the TV schedule, times are now available for most of the Wildcats’ 2017-18 games. The most up-to-date TV and tipoff schedule is below.
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV |
| Oct. 13 | Big Blue Madness | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Oct. 20 | Blue-White Game | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Oct. 27 | Thomas More College (exhibition) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 3 | Centre College (exhibition) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 10 | Utah Valley | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 12 | Vermont | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 14 | vs. Kansas (State Farm Champions Classic) | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 17 | ETSU (Adolph Rupp Classic) | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 20 | Troy (Adolph Rupp Classic) | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 22 | Fort Wayne (Adolph Rupp Classic) | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 26 | UIC (Adolph Rupp Classic) | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 2 | Harvard | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Dec. 9 | vs. Monmouth (Citi Hoops Classic) | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 16 | Virginia Tech | 2 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 23 | vs. UCLA (CBS Sports Classic) | 4 p.m. | CBS |
| Dec. 29 | Louisville | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Dec. 31 | Georgia | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 3 | at LSU | 8:30 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 6 | at Tennessee | 9 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 9 | Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 13 | at Vanderbilt | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 16 | at South Carolina | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 20 | Florida | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 23 | Mississippi State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 27 | at West Virginia (Big 12/SEC Challenge) | 4:30/7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 30 | Vanderbilt | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 3 | at Missouri | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Feb. 6 | Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 10 | at Texas A&M | 4/6/8 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Feb. 14 | at Auburn | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Feb. 17 | Alabama | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Feb. 20 | at Arkansas | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 24 | Missouri | 6/8 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Feb. 27 | Ole Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 3 | at Florida | Noon | CBS |
| March 7-11 | SEC Tournament | TBA | SEC Network/ESPN |
The Wildcats’ schedule is packed with marquee games, a number of battles with college basketball’s blueblood programs and trips across the country.
Kentucky’s schedule will see the Wildcats play in premier venues such as the United Center in Chicago (vs. Kansas) and Madison Square Garden in New York (vs. Monmouth), take them to a Big Blue Nation favorite in New Orleans (vs. UCLA), and feature a difficult trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, to play the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Twelve of UK’s 13 nonconference opponents in the upcoming season made a postseason tournament in 2017, including eight of which who made the NCAA Tournament. Three of those advanced to the Sweet 16 or better.
Five nonconference teams finished the 2016-17 season with an RPI in the top 50 and four ended the season in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches’ Poll. All told, Kentucky’s 2017-18 nonconference opponents combined for a record of 314-134 in 2016-17, a .701 winning percentage.
All that, of course, is in addition to an arduous 18-game SEC schedule that will feature home-and-home dates with Missouri and Texas A&M, and permanent home-and-home opponents Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
The SEC is expected to continue its recent ascent among the nation’s best basketball conferences this season. Nine of the league’s 14 teams have recruiting classes ranked among the top 31 of ESPN’s RecruitingNation class rankings for 2017. That’s after three teams, including UK, made the Elite Eight in 2017.
All that lies ahead for arguably John Calipari’s most inexperienced team ever. UK will be tasked with replacing 92.6 percent of its scoring and 76.6 percent of its rebounding from last season’s production.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at ukathletics.com.
