Kentucky MBB will reportedly host another Multi-Team Event in 2025-26 season

Kentucky men’s basketball’s non-conference schedule is nearing completion.

According to college basketball bracketologist/analyst Rocco Miller, the Wildcats will host a Multi-Team Event (MTE) for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The three-team group includes Kentucky, Valparaiso, and Eastern Illinois. It is expected to be held in early November, although final dates remain unknown. Valparaiso and Eastern Illinois would both come to Rupp Arena, while EIU would travel to Valpo to round out the event.

Not mentioned in Miller’s post on social media is his addition of Southern to Kentucky’s 2025-26 non-conference schedule, which he says will take place on Sunday, December 7th, in Rupp Arena. If that ends up being the case, Kentucky would play four games across an eight-day stretch: North Carolina (Dec. 2), Gonzaga (Dec. 5), Southern (Dec. 7), and NC Central (Dec. 9).

No wonder Mark Pope is emphasizing conditioning early into summer practices…

Sources: Kentucky will host a Multi-Team Event (MTE) once again in 2025-26. Valparaiso and Eastern Illinois are slated to participate, with EIU also traveling to Valpo. Dates are still TBD.

That should do it for the Wildcats' scheduling for the coming season. #SEC #MVC #OVC pic.twitter.com/XG1TA5caIt

— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) June 18, 2025

Kentucky has faced Valparaiso twice throughout history, winning both games. The first matchup came during the 2002 NCAA Tournament, with the second happening in December 2016 at Rupp Arena. This will make the first ever meeting between UK and Eastern Illinois. As for Southern, Kentucky has also faced that program twice, winning in 1988 and 2021.

Miller has a history of being spot-on with this type of scheduling news. He correctly called for Kentucky to host Lipscomb in an MTE last season, which ended up being called the BBN Invitational. Just last month, he was the first to report the 2025-26 matchup between Kentucky women’s basketball and Morehead State, which was confirmed by UK just two weeks later.

Kentucky MBB’s 2025-26 schedule (as we know it)

With news leaking out that Valparaiso, Eastern Illinois, and Southern have been added to the schedule, that might just put a bow on Kentucky’s non-conference slate. UK is now reportedly up to 13 non-conference matchups — the same number as the 2024-25 season. We learned of the Wildcats’ SEC opponents on Wednesday, although dates and tipoff times have yet to be announced.

• Oct. 24 (Fri.): vs. Purdue | Rupp Arena (Exhibition)
• Oct. 30 (Thu.): vs. Georgetown | Rupp Arena (Exhibition)
• Nov. (TBA): vs. Valparaiso | Rupp Arena (MTE)
• Nov. (TBA): vs. Eastern Illinois | Rupp Arena (MTE)
• Nov. 11 (Tue.): at Louisville | Yum Center (Louisville, KY)
• Nov. 18 (Tue.): vs. Michigan State | Champions Classic | Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
• Nov. 21 (Fri.): vs. Loyola University Maryland | Rupp Arena
• Nov. 26 (Wed.): vs. Tennessee Tech | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 2 (Tue.): North Carolina | SEC/ACC Challenge | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 5 (Fri.): vs. Gonzaga | Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
• Dec. 7 (Sun.): vs. Southern | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 9 (Tue.): vs. NC Central | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 13 (Sat.): vs. Indiana | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 20 (Sat.): vs. St. John’s | CBS Sports Classic | State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA)
• Dec. 23 (Tue.): vs. Bellarmine | Rupp Arena
• TBA: at Alabama | Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, AL)
• TBA: at Arkansas | Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, AR)
• TBA: at Auburn | Neville Arena (Auburn, AL)
• TBA: at Florida | Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center (Gainesville, FL)
• TBA: at LSU | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Baton Rouge, LA)
• TBA: at South Carolina | Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)
• TBA: at Tennessee | Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center (Knoxville, TN)
• TBA: at Texas A&M | Reed Arena (College Station, TX)
• TBA: at Vanderbilt | Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, TN)
• TBA: vs. Florida | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Georgia | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Ole Miss | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Mississippi State | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Missouri | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Oklahoma | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Tennessee | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Texas | Rupp Arena
• TBA: vs. Vanderbilt | Rupp Arena

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