UK basketball finalizes its non-conference schedule. Here’s who the Wildcats will play.

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2024-25 season has been finalized.

UK released the full non-SEC slate for Mark Pope’s first season in charge of the Wildcats on Thursday morning, a schedule that features several marquee matchups that had already been confirmed and a handful of home games against mid-major opponents.

The biggest dates on the Cats’ schedule: Duke in Atlanta for the Champions Classic (Nov. 12), an SEC/ACC Challenge game at Clemson (Dec. 3), the third game in the series against Gonzaga, this time in Seattle (Dec. 7), the rivalry game against Louisville in Rupp Arena (Dec. 14) and the CBS Sports Classic clash with Ohio State at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 21).

UK will also face Western Kentucky in Rupp on Nov. 26, which will mark just the eighth meeting between the two schools. This will be the fourth time the Cats will play the Hilltoppers in Rupp. The two sides have also played one regular-season game in Louisville and have met three times in the NCAA Tournament.

Pope’s first game on the UK sidelines will be Nov. 4 against Wright State in Rupp Arena.

The other games for the Wildcats’ non-conference schedule, all in Rupp:

▪ Nov. 9 vs. Bucknell

▪ Nov. 19 vs. Lipscomb

▪ Nov. 22 vs. Jackson State

▪ Nov. 29 vs. Georgia State

▪ Dec. 11 vs. Colgate

▪ Dec. 31 vs. Brown

The 18-game SEC portion of UK’s schedule will begin Jan. 6, the league office confirmed to the Herald-Leader this summer. The SEC matchups have been released for next season — the Cats will play Alabama, Tennessee and Vanderbilt twice, and every other team in the league once — but the dates for those games have not yet been announced.

2024-25 UK men’s basketball schedule

Kentucky’s non-conference schedule has been set. Dates for Southeastern Conference matchups plus times and TV assignments for all games will be announced later. Home games listed in all capital letters.

Nov. 4: WRIGHT STATE

Nov. 9: BUCKNELL

Nov. 12: 1-Duke

Nov. 19: 2-LIPSCOMB

Nov. 22: 2-JACKSON STATE

Nov. 26: 2-WESTERN KENTUCKY

Nov. 29: GEORGIA STATE

Dec. 3: 3-At Clemson

Dec. 7: 4-Gonzaga

Dec. 11: COLGATE

Dec. 14: LOUISVILLE

Dec. 21: 5-Ohio State, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 31: BROWN

1-Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta; 2-BBN Invitational in Rupp Arena; 3-SEC/ACC Challenge at Littlejohn Coliseum; 4-Battle in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena; 5-CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.