Kentucky men's basketball coach Mark Pope reacts to March's crazy losses
Kentucky coach Mark Pope is proud of his players after losing to Tennessee 78-65 in the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Crazy Championship. "After 10 years from now, we're going to talk about these guys," the Pope.
- The Wildcats’ 2025-26 schedule includes exhibition games against Purdue and Georgetown, as well as games against Louisville, Michigan, Gonzaga and St. John.
- The UK is expected to host the ACC/SEC challenge.
- Non-conference rivals in the UK have not yet officially confirmed that include Indiana, Bellamin and Central North Carolina.
Lexington-Kentucky basketball will host two high-profile exhibitions at the Rupp Arena, then Mark Pope’s season two official tips.
The UK announced on Wednesday that it will welcome Georgetown to Lexington for a pre-season exhibition on October 30. The competition will be less than a week after another exhibition in Rupp: Big Teen Power Purdue will partner with Kentucky on October 24.
The Wildcats' 2025-26 slabs are still being pieced together.
However, according to the team's official website, a few games have been confirmed in the UK.
This is a timeline that includes the championship against in-state rivals Louisville (playing at KFC Yum! Center on November 11), Michigan State University (Champion Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 18), Gonzaga (December 5 in Nashville), St. John and St. John’s champions, facing former UK and former UK and U coach Rick Pitino at CBS Sports Sports Classic classic classic classic classic classic clash inth at atl atlanta intal intal intan atlanta intal intal intan atlanta intal inlanda atlanta inlanda atlanta.
After receiving Miami in 2023 and traveling to Clemson last year, Kentucky may welcome ACC enemies to Lexington for this year’s ACC/SEC challenge.
Other non-conference games in Indiana are Indiana (December 13 in Rupp, according to Rothstein, Jon Rothstein of Per CBS Sports), Bellarmine (December 23 in Rupp) and Central North Carolina (According to Rothstein, in Rupp).
The SEC will reveal the league sector in future 2025-26 campaigns.
- October 24: Exhibition with Rupp Arena, Time TBA
- October 30: Exhibition with Georgetown (Rupp Arena), Times TBA
- November 11: In Louisville (KFC Yum! Center), Time TBA
- November 18: With Michigan State University (Champion Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York)
- December 5: vs. Gonzaga (Bridgestone Arena; Nashville)
- December 20: Fight against St. John (CBS Sports Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta)
Contact Ryan Black, a Kentucky men’s basketball and soccer reporter at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on @ryanablack.