Kentucky Finalizes More of 2026–27 Basketball Schedule with Familiar Opponents
The University of Kentucky has officially added two more opponents to its 2026–27 men’s basketball schedule, including an exhibition contest against a program led by a former Wildcat standout. The announcement provides more clarity on Kentucky’s upcoming campaign as head coach Mark Pope prepares to enter his third season at the helm.
According to the university, Kentucky will host Little Rock in a preseason exhibition game at Rupp Arena on October 16. The matchup is expected to serve as one of three exhibition contests the Wildcats will play before officially opening the regular season. Kentucky is already scheduled to begin regular-season action at home against Manhattan on November 3, while the remaining two exhibition opponents are expected to be announced at a later date.
The increase in preseason games comes after the NCAA introduced new rules allowing Division I men’s basketball teams to play up to three exhibition games before the start of the regular season. Kentucky plans to play all of its exhibition contests in Lexington, giving fans multiple opportunities to see the team before competitive play begins.
The exhibition matchup with Little Rock carries extra significance because the Trojans are now coached by Travis Ford, one of Kentucky’s former stars. Ford enjoyed an outstanding playing career with the Wildcats during the early 1990s before transitioning into coaching at just 27 years old. Since then, he has built an impressive résumé with coaching stops at Campbellsville, Eastern Kentucky, UMass, Oklahoma State, and Saint Louis. After leaving Saint Louis in 2024, Ford accepted the challenge of rebuilding the Little Rock program, which now competes in the United Athletic Conference.
Kentucky’s schedule also includes another opponent with strong ties to the program. The Wildcats will host James Madison, whose head coach Preston Spradlin previously served on John Calipari’s coaching staff at Kentucky. The game gives fans another opportunity to see familiar faces return to Rupp Arena in different roles.
In addition to the Little Rock exhibition, Kentucky announced a regular-season home game against Appalachian State, scheduled for December 5. The Mountaineers enjoyed a solid campaign last season, finishing in a six-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt Conference. The matchup is expected to provide another quality nonconference test as the Wildcats continue preparing for SEC competition.
With Appalachian State officially joining the schedule, Kentucky now has only one remaining opening on its regular-season slate. The NCAA recently increased the maximum number of regular-season games from 31 to 32, giving programs additional scheduling flexibility. Kentucky currently has 31 games confirmed, with the final contest expected to be a neutral-site matchup.
The Wildcats’ nonconference schedule already features several high-profile opponents that should attract national attention. Kentucky will face Kansas in Chicago on November 10 before taking on Indiana in Indianapolis on November 20. December includes challenging games against Virginia in Charlottesville, Louisville at Rupp Arena, and North Carolina in New York City, creating one of the nation’s toughest nonconference schedules.
Conference play promises to be equally demanding. Kentucky will welcome Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt to Rupp Arena. Several of those programs, including Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, are projected to begin the season ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams.
Road games will present additional challenges, with the Wildcats traveling to face defending national powerhouse Florida, which enters the season as the consensus preseason No. 1 team. Kentucky will also visit a highly ranked Texas squad while making its traditional SEC trips to Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Early national projections have Kentucky positioned among the country’s top programs. The Wildcats are ranked No. 16 in CBS Sports’ preseason rankings and No. 17 in ESPN’s early Top 25. Expectations remain high thanks to a talented roster led by elite three-point shooter Milan Momcilovic, returning center Malachi Moreno, and transfer guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Alongside the schedule announcement, Kentucky also released details regarding season tickets for the 2026–27 campaign. Current season-ticket holders can now begin renewing their seats, while fans interested in purchasing new season tickets may enter a lottery through the university’s athletics website. A limited number of upper-level seats will be available, with renewal deadlines set for July 31 and August 21. With an exciting schedule and a talented roster in place, anticipation is already building for another memorable season of Kentucky basketball.
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