How to watch Kentucky's season opener against Manhattan

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready for their first game of the season on Tuesday night as the Manhattan Jaspers will be in Rupp Arena. This is a very important season for Coach Pope, as he really needs this team to have a good season.

The Wildcats played three exhibition games, and they won all three of these games. There were a lot of positives and negatives to take away from these games, but the fan base is excited for the real thing to get started tomorrow night. The Wildcats will have two tune-up games before they make the trip up to Chicago to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.

Let's take a look at how to watch Kentucky's season opener against the Manhattan Jaspers.

How to watch Kentucky's opener against Manhattan

Oct 28, 2026; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots the ball against UCF Knights forward Lewis Walker (5) during overtime at Rupp Arena Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Tuesday, November 3rd, Pope and the Wildcats will be taking on the Manhattan Jaspers with tip-off coming at 7:00 pm est. This game can be watched on SEC Network +. For those who don't have that as part of their television package, it will have to be added. The Wildcats will play four games on SEC Network + this season, so fans might need to find a way to add it to their package.

Turnovers are going to be important for the Wildcats this season. They were a problem in the exhibition games, but the good news is that this can be cleaned up. This is a team that fans anticipated being really good on offense.

The Wildcats shot the three-ball a lot in these exhibition games, which the fan base was really happy to see. The offense is going to click for the Wildcats, but the defense really exceeded expectations, which is very exciting. Defense was the concern for this team heading into the season, but in the three exhibition wins, it looked a lot better than expected.

Oct 28, 2026; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with guard Mason Williams (4) during the second half against the UCF Knights at Rupp Arena Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One concern for this team that didn't look great in the exhibitions was rebounding. It has to be better for Coach Pope's team. In the SEC, if the Wildcats can't rebound, it is going to be a real problem. The SEC is the most physical league in college hoops, so the Wildcats have to be able to handle this and pull down boards.

Two tune up games are between the Wildcats and their matchup with the Jayhawks. This is a very important game for the team as they try to get off to a hot start in these marquee non-conference games.

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