How to Watch Florida Gators Basketball's Matchup Against Kentucky in SEC Tournament

The AP fourth-ranked Florida Gators open play as the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament on Thursday, facing nine-seed Kentucky for the third time this season after the Wildcats beat LSU on Tuesday and upset Missouri on Wednesday.

While Florida looks to go back-to-back as champions of the SEC Tournament for the first time since the three-peat from 2005-07 and looks to complete a three-game season sweep of Kentucky for the first time since 2014, the Gators have bigger aspirations at play.

Riding an 11-game winning streak into the postseason, Florida is currently the favorite to land the fourth No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There are a lot of factors at play for the Gators to officially clinch it, though.

The Florida Gators on Saturday clinched its first SEC regular-season title since 2014 this season. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Winning out would seal the deal. Making a run in the SEC Tournament, even without finishing as champions, could be enough to clinch it. A loss to Kentucky, however, leaves their fate up to how UConn does in the Big East Tournament.

"I think we're in a great spot now, especially compared to last week," Golden said on Tuesday. "We just have to worry about we can control. If we win the games, I don't think we have anything to worry about. If we don't, then we start to worry and start allowing other people to dictate and determine what happens with us.

"I think we're in a great spot. I think we have the ability to go get it, but we can't take it for granted. We can't slip up.”

Should Florida officially clinch a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament, it would mark the first time in program history that the Gators are a one-seed in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

Here is everything you need to know for the Gators’ matchup against the Wildcats, including broadcast information.

No. 1 Florida Gators (25-6, 16-2 SEC) vs. No. 9 Kentucky (21-12, 12-8 SEC): What You Need to Know

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: Friday, March 13, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Play-by-Play: Karl Ravech
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Reporter: Alyssa Lang

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD

Play-by-play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Lee Humphrey
Reporter: Steve Egan

Series History: Kentucky leads the series, 111-44. The Gators won the two regular-season matchups this season, with a 92-83 win in Gainesville on Feb. 14 and an 84-77 win in Lexington on March 7. The wins marked Florida's first regular-season sweep of the Wildcats since 2018. Florida last swept Kentucky in three games in 2014.

Florida's SEC Tournament History: The Gators are searching for its sixth SEC Tournament title and its first back-to-back titles since three-peating from 2005-07. The Gators also won a title in 2014.