Kentucky’s conference schedule for the 2024-25 season has been released and it was just another piece of news that has me absolutely amped for the upcoming season. Reality tells me that we are still far, far away from the season, of course still having football in the forefront, but the new possibilities of the program under its new staff have me really excited for what’s to come.
While we’ve spent the majority of the last few weeks watching the roster get built-out, the staff get established, and essentially just getting to know who Mark Pope really is, we haven’t had a whole lot of season related news for the foundation of Pope’s first season. Monday afternoon we finally did, with the program releasing its SEC home and away schedule and I want to take a look at it with you.
The conference schedule will consist of 9 home games and 9 away games. The dates and times for these have not yet been announced.
HOME
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Florida
LSU
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Vanderbilt
AWAY
Alabama
Georgia
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Texas
Vanderbilt
Looking at both sides of the schedule, Kentucky will face only 3 teams twice which consists of Alabama, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.
The Crimson Tide will be projected as one of the top teams – if not the top team – in the SEC entering the regular season so that home-and-home between the two will be must-see basketball. Nate Oats, who was once a contender for the Kentucky head coaching job, is fresh off a Final Four and is returning a lot from that team that made the run just a few weeks ago.
Tennessee is set to lose a lot from last year’s team, most notably star guard Dalton Knecht who has entered the NBA Draft this summer after averaging 21.7 points per game and winning the AP SEC Player of the Year award. The Wildcat got demolished at home by Tennessee last season, allowing the orange to score over 100 points on their home floor. In return, they got revenge down in Knoxville spoiling the Senior Night during the last game of the regular season, conducting arguably one of the best performances of the year with a win before heading into the postseason.
Looking at Vanderbilt, should I go any further? The Commodores went 9-23 overall and 4-14 in conference play last season, not securing a SEC win until February 3rd on the calendar. Outside of their upset first round win over Arkansas in the SEC Tournament last March, the majority of their season was a disappointment which led to their head coach, Jerry Stackhouse, being fired. That would lead to the arrival of their new head coach in Mark Byington, which what’s to come is all unknown for the program.
Another notable thing about the conference schedule is Kentucky will travel to new conference opponent territory in Texas and Oklahoma, embarking a new relationship and getting the first glimpse of them away from Lexington. While I believe this will have more of an effect in football, it will still be great to see new opponents in basketball as well. Maybe another rivalry will organically form? It’s all new and very exciting, and we just have no idea what to expect.
Lastly, and I think the most important of this all, is the return game of John Calipari and Arkansas. Not making a trip to Fayetteville this year, the Wildcats will host the Razorbacks in Lexington which will be the most-attended, most-viewed, and most-anticipated game on Kentucky’s schedule all season long. Fans get to see their former coach walk back in to the arena he once led for a decade-and-a-half, having all eyes glued to what’s in front of them. I love that Kentucky didn’t set up a trip to go to Bud Walton arena in return this season, further implementing that the brand of Kentucky Basketball runs the show and they can agree to our terms for the near future if they want to play, even if they do have the former Kentucky coach on their payroll.
A lot to take in there, and it’s all still so far away from now. This new era of Mark Pope will be a little different than what fans are used to, but it could be great. I expect it to be great. Let’s do our best to support it and enjoy the ride as it’s happening.
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