Why Mark Pope Insists Kentucky Faces the Nation’s Toughest Schedule—Every Single Year
In the non-conference, Kentucky will take on the likes of Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Indiana, and St. John’s. Indiana is the only team not mentioned in ESPN’s latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings. Louisville and St. John’s will be preseason top 10 candidates. That doesn’t account for Purdue either, the nation’s preseason number one team and one of the Wildcats’ two exhibition opponents. Combining both non-conference and conference games, UK could be looking at facing over a dozen ranked opponents in 2025-26.
While the SEC might not be as deeply talented as it was in 2024-25, which resulted in a record-setting 14 teams making the NCAA Tournament, there will still be plenty of postseason-caliber groups from top to bottom. Five SEC teams, not counting UK, make up ESPN’s latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings update — and some of them will face the ‘Cats twice this season, including twice against defending champion Florida. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi actually thinks the SEC will repeat with 14 teams making the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
“We’re just so hungry to play every great game we can,” Pope told Matt Norlander this week on CBS Sports’ Summer Shootaround. “I understand that this is Kentucky, right? I think last year we fell a little short; we had the third-hardest schedule in the country. We should be number one every year. That’s something that’s really important to us. We don’t have full autonomy in how we do it, but we do the best we can because great games, that’s why we play. To play great games.”
And yet, Kentucky’s 2025-26 schedule is shaping up to be even tougher — and that’s exactly how Pope wants it.
The head coach of Kentucky men’s basketball is all about taking on any would-be challengers, especially those considered to be in the top tier of competition. The Wildcats ranked third in the country last season in terms of Strength of Schedule, per KenPom, checking in behind only two other SEC programs, Alabama and Auburn, respectively. Pope and his squad came out of that season with 24 wins and the most victories against Quad 1 opponents in school history.
Mark Pope isn’t ducking the smoke.
“I love our schedule this year,” Pope added. “We’re getting tested in major, major ways.”
Pope can’t wait to get started, either.
The tests begin early and often. Louisville is the third game of the season, Michigan State the fifth. Ahead of the final non-conference matchup with Bellarmine, Kentucky will face Indiana and St. John’s back-to-back. The SEC schedule opens with Alabama on the road and ends with Florida coming to Rupp Arena. There will be no “trap” games on this schedule — everyone is a capable foe.
Kentucky basketball’s Mark Pope is stepping into the spotlight with zero hesitation — embracing the grind, the grit, and the gauntlet that comes with steering one of college hoops’ blue blood programs. Last season, the Wildcats weren’t just playing games; they were running one of the toughest schedules in the nation, ranking third in Strength of Schedule nationwide, just behind SEC rivals Alabama and Auburn. The result? A stellar 24-win campaign, highlighted by the most Quad 1 wins in program history — no small feat. But here’s the kicker: the 2025-26 schedule? It’s shaping up to be even more brutal. And Pope? He’s all in. Craving every titanic matchup like a kid in a candy store, the coach sees this as Kentucky’s standard — playing premier opponents, putting themselves through the fire year after year. This season, marked by monster non-conference clashes against Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, and more, plus a fierce SEC slate featuring five other top-25 squads, won’t allow Kentucky any breathing room. Pope’s message is crystal clear: at Kentucky, anything less than going undefeated is simply not acceptable. Buckle up — the Wildcats aren’t just playing games. They’re chasing glory. LEARN MORE
“You know there is only one acceptable thing here at Kentucky, and that’s to win all the games,” Pope said. “I’m not going to undershoot the expectation here, we got to go win them all.”
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