Kentucky vs. Kansas gets late tip in Big 12/SEC Challenge

Add another late game to the schedule for Kentucky men’s basketball in 2022-23 — and it’s a big one.

The headlining matchup of the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge, the Wildcats will take on the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will be a head-to-head battle between the two winningest programs in college basketball history.

ESPN released tip times and the television schedule for the annual event this morning:

Auburn at West Virginia – 12 p.m. ET (ESPN/2)
Alabama at Oklahoma – 2 p.m. ET (ESPN/2/U)
Texas Tech at LSU – 2 p.m. ET (ESPN/2/U)
Iowa State at Missouri – 2 p.m. ET (ESPN/2/U)
TCU at Mississippi State – 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Arkansas at Baylor – 4/6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas at Tennessee – 4/6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Florida at Kansas State – 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Kansas at Kentucky – 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Ole Miss at Oklahoma State – 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Kentucky’s SEC already included four 9 p.m. tip-offs, along with two at 8:30 p.m. — six of eight games in a stretch from Jan. 17 to Feb. 15 getting the late start. Now, you can add another 8 p.m. ET tip to the schedule when the reigning national champions head to town.

The Wildcats blew out the Jayhawks in Lawrence last season, an 80-62 victory in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Kansas would, however, go on to win the 2022 title, defeating North Carolina — another team Kentucky crushed in the regular season — to earn the trophy.

Now, the rematch is officially scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Kentucky’s 2022-23 schedule as we know it

Oct. 14 | BIG BLUE MADNESS | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
Oct. 22 | Blue-White Game | Pikeville, Ky. (Appalachian Wireless Arena)
Nov. 7 | HOWARD | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Nov. 15 | vs. Michigan State | Indianapolis (Gainbridge Fieldhouse) – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Nov. 29 | BELLARMINE | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
Dec. 4 | vs. Michigan | London, England (O2 Arena) – 1 p.m. ET, ABC
Dec. 10 | YALE | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
Dec. 17 | vs. UCLA | New York (Madison Square Garden) – 5:15 p.m. ET, CBS
Dec. 21 | FLORIDA A&M | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
Dec. 28 | at Missouri* | Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena) – 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Dec. 31 | LOUISVILLE | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 12 p.m. ET, CBS
Jan. 3 | LSU* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 7 | at Alabama* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Coleman Coliseum) – 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 10 | SOUTH CAROLINA* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/2
Jan. 14 | at Tennessee* | Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena) – 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 17 | GEORGIA* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 21 | TEXAS A&M* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 24 | at Vanderbilt* | Nashville, Tenn. (Memorial Gymnasium) – 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Jan. 28 | KANSAS | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Jan. 31 | at Ole Miss* | Oxford, Miss. (Pavilion at Ole Miss) – 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/2
Feb. 4 | FLORIDA* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Feb. 7 | ARKANSAS* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/2
Feb. 11 | at Georgia* | Athens, Ga. (Stegeman Coliseum) – 12 p.m. ET, ESPN/2
Feb. 15 | at Mississippi State* | Starkville, Miss. (Humphrey Coliseum) – 8:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Feb. 18 | TENNESSEE* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Feb. 22 | at Florida* | Gainesville, Fla. (Stephen O’Connell Center) – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/2
Feb. 25 | AUBURN* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 4 p.m. ET, CBS
March 1 | VANDERBILT* | Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena) – 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network
March 4 | at Arkansas* | Fayetteville, Ark. (Bud Walton Arena) – 2 p.m. ET, CBS

Home games listed in ALL CAPS; * – Southeastern Conference games

Kentucky will also play North Florida (Nov. 23), at Gonzaga (Nov. 20) and Duquesne (TBD), though those games have not yet been officially announced by the school.