UK MBB Schedule Continues to Take Shape with TV Announcements
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tip times and TV designations for the 2021-22 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball schedule were released by the league on Thursday. Additionally, several of the Wildcats’ nonconference games are now set by the major television networks.
So 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 Game and the SEC Tournament will also air on national television.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2 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. All 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 a large chunk of the Wildcats’ 2020-21 games.
| Date | Opponent/Event | Location | Time | TV |
| Oct. 15 | Big Blue Madness | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Oct. 22 | Blue-White Game | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Oct. 29 | Kentucky Wesleyan | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 5 | Miles College | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 pm. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 9 | vs. Duke | Madison Square Garden (New York) | TBD | ESPN |
| Nov. 12 | Robert Morris | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 16 | Mount St. Mary’s | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 19 | Ohio | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 22 | Albany | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | TBD | TBD |
| Nov. 26 | North Florida | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Nov. 29 | Central Michigan | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | TBD | TBD |
| Dec. 7 | Southern | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Dec. 11 | at Notre Dame | Joyce Center (South Bend, Ind.) | TBD | TBD |
| Dec. 18 | vs. Ohio State | T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas) | 5:15 p.m. | CBS |
| Dec. 22 | Louisville | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Dec. 29 | Missouri | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Dec. 31 | High Point | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | TBD | TBD |
| Jan. 4 | at LSU | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Baton Rouge, La.) | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 8 | Georgia | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 6 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 11 | at Vanderbilt | Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, Tenn.) | 7 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Jan. 15 | Tennessee | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | TBD | ESPN/2 |
| Jan. 19 | at Texas A&M | Reed Arena (College Station-Bryan, Texas) | 8:30 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 22 | at Auburn | Auburn Arena (Auburn, Ala.) | 1/1:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Jan. 25 | Mississippi State | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 29 | at Kansas | Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.) | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 2 | Vanderbilt | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Feb. 5 | at Alabama | Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) | 8 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Feb. 8 | at South Carolina | Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, S.C.) | 7 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Feb. 12 | Florida | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 4 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Feb. 15 | at Tennessee | Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.) | 9 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Feb. 19 | Alabama | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Feb. 23 | LSU | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 9 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| Feb. 26 | at Arkansas | Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.) | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| March 1 | Ole Miss | Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) | 7 p.m. | ESPN/2 |
| March 5 | at Florida | Exactech Arena (Gainesville, Fla.) | 2 p.m. | CBS |
Italics indicate exhibitions/preseason events
While continuing to monitor the latest health and safety guidelines from local and national authorities, UK Athletics plans to operate venues at full capacity this season, including at Big Blue Madness.
Regardless of vaccination status, all guests, staff and vendors will be required to wear a mask while visiting Rupp Arena. Fans will not be required to show proof of vaccination to enter Rupp Arena, but face coverings – covering the nose and mouth – are required for all fans as they watch the game from their assigned seat and enter, exit and move around Rupp Arena. Children 2 and younger will not be required to wear a mask. If spectators are unable to wear masks, they are encouraged not to attend games in person for the sake of their health and the health of others.
Fans interested in acquiring new season tickets are encouraged to enter the men’s basketball season ticket lottery online. For more information on lower-level seating that is currently available with a K Fund pledge commitment, please reach out to the UK Athletics K Fund staff at (859) 257-6300.
Big Blue Madness Presented by Papa John’s, the official tipoff to the 2021-22 season, will return as an in-person event Oct. 15 in Rupp Arena. Tickets for the event, which are free, will distributed exclusively online at Ticketmaster.com and through the Ticketmaster app starting at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 1. Ticket information for the Blue-White Game on Oct. 22 and for regular-season home games will be announced soon.
Kentucky’s nonconference schedule features Duke in Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 9 in the Champions Classic – the regular-season opener and the beginning of Mike Krzyzewski’s final season – the inaugural Unity Series game vs. Southern on Dec. 7, a trip to Notre Dame on Dec. 11, Ohio State in Las Vegas on Dec. 18 in the CBS Sports Classic, Louisville at home on Dec. 22, the return of former UK coach Tubby Smith when High Point visits on Dec. 31, and a road game vs. Kansas on Jan. 29 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The nonconference schedule will give way to the typically difficult SEC slate. UK will play its permanent home-and-away opponents of Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt twice, plus host and visit Alabama and LSU. The Wildcats will face the remaining eight SEC opponents once. The league has earned 21 berths in the last three NCAA Tournaments, tied for the second most in college basketball in that time period.
Kentucky will take on a challenging schedule with a solid blend of talent and experience. UK’s roster features a sixth-year graduate, a fifth-year graduate, two redshirt juniors, five juniors, a redshirt sophomore, two sophomores, and three highly touted four- and five-star freshmen.
John Calipari’s squad will return 42.1% of its minutes, 41.9% of its scoring, 39.0% of the rebounds, 42.4% of the assists and 60.6% of the 3-pointers from a season ago. For comparison, the only two Calipari-coached Kentucky teams that returned more minutes and more points (in terms of percentages) than the 2021-22 team is slated to return were the 2011-12 national championship squad and the 2014-15 Final Four team that started the season 38-0.
Adding the Wildcats’ four transfers to the equation, Kentucky’s current 2021-22 roster includes 13,385 minutes, 5,203 points, 1,917 rebounds, 1,132 assists and 543 total 3-pointers in college basketball production.
In the latest ESPN preseason poll – which the Wildcats make an appearance at No. 9 – seven of Kentucky’s 2021-22 opponents make an appearance.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
