UK has announced its 2013-14 men's basketball non-conference schedule. The schedule features a season-opening game in Rupp Arena against UNC-Asheville on Nov. 8 followed by a home date on Nov. 10 against Northern Kentucky. It marks the first time since the 2009-10 season the Wildcats open at home with multiple games.
For the third straight year, Kentucky participates in the State Farm Champions Classic, taking on Michigan State on Nov. 12 in Chicago, according to a news release from the university's athletic's department.
UK will return home for four straight games as a part of the Keightley Classic beginning on Nov. 17 with Robert Morris. The rest of the tournament – named in honor of Bill Keightley, the former equipment manager known as “Mr. Wildcat” – includes games against Texas-Arlington (Nov. 19), Cleveland State (Nov. 25) and Eastern Michigan (Nov. 27), who is co-hosting the tournament.
Kentucky will ring in December with a pair of neutral-site games, including a Dec. 1 matchup with Providence in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a Dec. 6 date in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas against Baylor. The game against Baylor will be part of a doubleheader featuring both the men’s and women’s teams against the Baylor Bears.
The Wildcats return to Rupp Arena on Dec. 10 to host Boise State before renewing the annual rivalry with North Carolina on Dec. 14 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
UK closes out the 2013 calendar year in Rupp Arena with a Dec. 21 date against Belmont before hosting the annual Louisville game on Dec. 28.
Beginning in January, the Wildcats will face an 18-game Southeastern Conference schedule with nine home games and nine road games. The conference schedule will be announced at a later date, the university said.
Prior to regular-season action, Kentucky hosts a pair of exhibition games. The first will be Nov. 1 against in-town rival Transylvania for the third straight year followed by a matchup against Montevallo on Nov. 4.
