As hard as it is to believe, Kentucky Basketball‘s first exhibition game is under two weeks away. John Calipari’s new-look Wildcats are finally practicing together for the time. Yet, they’re due to play real-life basketball in Toronto in thirteen days as the American representation in the GloblJam summer showcase. Canada, Germany, and Africa also make up the four-team field.

In anticipation of those games and reflection on all of the recent 2023-24 scheduling news, let’s catch up on Kentucky’s upcoming Schedule. Excitement is growing with the finalization of the roster, behind-the-scenes clips, and GloblJam around the corner.

Here’s what lies ahead (and in some cases, not ahead) when it gets the most real in the regular season. All but two of these are unofficial, per UK’s official schedule.

Kansas (ft. Hunter Dickinson) right away

The ‘Cats will be tested early in the annual Champions Classic set for the second Tuesday night of the season, November 14. This year, ESPN’s doubleheader will be played in Chicago’s United Center, where Kansas‘ experience will challenge Kentucky’s youth in a marquee matchup of ranked teams. 

Then, of course, the awkward run-in with Hunter Dickinson, who Kentucky courted as its Oscar Tshiebwe replacement, only for Dickinson to pick the Jayhawks instead. Defending him and Dajuan Harris will be a problem. Kansas is No. 1 in several preseason polls.

Miami, not Duke or North Carolina, in the first ACC/SEC Challenge

Yesterday, Big Blue Nation was shocked to learn the ‘Cats will play Miami in the first-ever edition of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The speculation had long been that Kentucky would finally get a game against Duke on a college campus, or, at worst, a pairing with fellow blue-blood North Carolina. But ESPN’s schedule revealed Kentucky will host the Hurricanes in Rupp Arena on Tuesday, November 28, the first night of the two-night, cross-conference event.

Miami could be a top-10 team as Jim Larranaga returns three starters from last year’s Final Four run, the first in school history.

The Michigan series appears to be canceled

Though there has yet to be an official announcement, it appears the three-year agreement between Kentucky and Michigan has been nullified. Last week, Michigan released its entire non-conference schedule without Kentucky on it, signaling an end to the prior commitment to play a home-and-home following last year’s game in London. There were rumors the series would be canceled once the London game scheduled before COVID was honored on its rescheduled date. Those rumors appear to be true.

Notre Dame, somewhere, perhaps

In May of 2020, when everyone was distracted by “Tiger King,” Kentucky and Notre Dame agreed to a three-game series, beginning with Notre Dame’s trip to Rupp Arena in December of 2020 to be followed by a game in South Bend and another at a neutral site. The follow-up game in South Bend was played in 2021-22, but the neutral site game was postponed until 2023-24, this upcoming season.

However, a host city or date has not yet been mentioned.

Gonzaga’s return trip to Lexington

Don’t forget that promise Mark Few made from his fishing boat. Gonzaga owes Kentucky a trip to Rupp Arena. 

Last season, the cross-country journey to play at Gonzaga gave Kentucky an exhausting loss, so this season, the ‘Zags are in the tough spot coming to Lexington to play the ‘Cats.

A date has not been announced.

Year 10 of the CBS Sports Classic

We know the Cbs Sports Classic is going to Atlanta on Saturday, December 16. What hasn’t been formally announced is whether Kentucky will play North Carolina or Ohio State in the tenth edition of the annual doubleheader with the big floor logos.

Due for a win in the Yum Center

Here’s a stat that’ll turn your stomach: Kentucky hasn’t won at Louisville since 2018. Can you believe it’s been so long? Five-year-olds are walking this Earth having never seen a Kentucky win on the Yum Center floor, but that can change this season when Kentucky plays at Louisville for the first time since December 2020, the year the Chris Mack-coached Cardinals took advantage of a wounded Kentucky program.

This year, DJ Wagner. That is all. DJ Wagner.

Antonio Reeves goes back to Fayetteville (and the full SEC slate)

The Southeastern Conference allowed Antonio Reeves a heat check on Kentucky’s conference schedule as Kentucky heads to Arkansas for a second straight year. Last season, Reeves scored 37 points to lead an undermanned Kentucky to victory in the hostile confines of Bud Walton.

It’s one of the headliners on Kentucky’s SEC schedule, released earlier this week without dates. 

Tyler broke down the league games and their difficulty.

For the official announcement of the full non-conference schedule–like the women’s team earlier today–the wait continues.

The team has other pressing matters at the moment, like representing America in July.