Kentucky basketball is adding a very exciting game to the 2026-27 schedule

Mark Pope and Kentucky have added a fun game to the non-conference schedule.

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope gives an update on the upcoming 2026-27 season during a press conference in Lexington, Kentucky July 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats were looking to add one more game to the 2026-27 basketball schedule, and they added one with some interesting history. Kentucky is set to face off with Wichita State on Friday, November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving. This is going to create a fun weekend in Lexington, as the Wildcats will take on the Shockers on Friday in Rupp Arena, then rival Louisville will come to town on the football field on Saturday.

This, funny enough, will be the first regular-season meeting between these two teams as they met in 2014 and 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats in the 2014 matchup knocked off the #1-seed Shockers, who hadn’t lost a game yet that season. In 2017, Kentucky barely was able to hold off Wichita State, but John Calipari’s teams won both of these games.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on after the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wichita State will be a fun matchup for the Wildcats that has a little bit of history, but Pope’s team will look to handle business when the Shockers come to town. This is a game that, schedule-wise, will be sandwiched between the Indiana and Virginia matchups. Hopefully the Wildcats will win all three of these games, but it will be a difficult stretch.

Last season, non-conference play didn’t go well for Pope and the Wildcats as they lost a lot of games, and some of them they lost in a really ugly way. Big Blue Nation really wants to see Coach Pope and the Wildcats get to single-digit losses and knowing how tough the SEC is going to be this season they are going to have a win a lot of the marquee games in non-conference play.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his team against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wichita State will be one of the best mid-major teams the Wildcats play this season, as they were ranked 73rd in KenPom last season. Some have griped about the strength of schedule Kentucky is playing when it comes to the mid-major teams coming to Rupp Arena, so hopefully this game will quiet those who feel that way. Coach Pope has done well against teams like this during his tenure at Kentucky, and fans are hoping that will carry over this season.

Big Blue Nation is looking forward to this game, and fans are hoping to see the overall record between the Wildcats and the Shockers move to 3-0 after these teams meet on Black Friday.

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