Gonzaga announces late-night tipoff for matchup with Kentucky

Kentucky men’s basketball has known its opponents for the 2024-25 season for a while now, but the actual tipoff times and TV assignments have been slowly trickling. Coming into this week, the matchup with Gonzaga was the only game on the schedule without a start time.

That changed on Tuesday night though when Gonzaga released its complete schedule for the upcoming season. It revealed that the Bulldogs’ showdown against Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 7 will begin at 10:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2. The game takes place at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, so it’ll be a 7:00 p.m. tip-time on the West Coast. It marks the Wildcats’ latest start for a regular season game this season.

Gonzaga will start the season ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll while Kentucky checks in at No. 23.

This will be the third of six games in this series. Looking ahead, the 2025-26 matchup will take place in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. The 2026-27 matchup is scheduled to return to Rupp Arena with the 2027-28 venue set for the McCarthey Athletic Center on Gonzaga’s campus.

For the majority of Mark Pope‘s new-look Kentucky roster, taking on Gonzaga will be a first. Only two of the 12 players on scholarship have gone head-to-head against Mark Few’s program.

San Diego State transfer guard Lamont Butler faced the Bulldogs once in Dec. 2023, finishing with four points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal during just 11 minutes played in a win. Meanwhile, BYU transfer guard Jaxson Robinson faced Gonzaga twice during the 2022-23 season. Robinson recorded 17 points (5-9 FG), four assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 36 minutes in Jan. 2023, and then 10 points (4-11 FG), one rebound, one assist, and one steal in 35 minutes a month later. BYU lost both matchups.

Plan accordingly for what will surely be a late night in December.

Kentucky Men’s Basketball 2024-25 Schedule

Date Time (EST)Opponent/EventLocationTVOct. 7 (Mon.)6:00 PMPro DayHistoric Memorial ColiseumSEC Network+Oct. 11 (Fri.)7:00 PMBig Blue MadnessRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC NetworkOct. 18 (Fri.)6:00 PMBlue-White Preseason EventHistoric Memorial ColiseumN/AOct. 23 (Wed.)7:00 PMKentucky Wesleyan (exhibition)Rupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Oct. 29 (Tue.)7:00 PMMinnesota State Mankato (exhibition)Rupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Nov. 4 (Mon.)7:00 PMWright StateRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNUNov. 9 (Sat.)4:00 PMBucknellRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Nov. 12 (Tue.)9:00 PMvs. Duke (Champions Classic)Atlanta | State Farm ArenaESPNNov. 19 (Tue.)7:00 PMLipscomb (BBN Invitational)Rupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Nov. 22 (Fri.)7:00 PMJackson State (BBN Invitational | Unity Series)Rupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Nov. 26 (Tue.)6:30 PMWestern Kentucky (BBN Invitational)Rupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNUNov. 29 (Fri.)7:00 PMGeorgia StateRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC NetworkDec. 3 (Tue.)9:30 PMat Clemson (SEC/ACC Challenge)Clemson, S.C. | Littlejohn ColiseumESPNDec. 7 (Sat.)10:00 PMvs. Gonzaga (Battle in Seattle)Seattle | Climate Pledge ArenaESPN2Dec. 11 ( Wed.)8:00 PMColgateRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPN2Dec. 14 (Sat.)5:15 PMLouisvilleRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNDec. 21 (Sat.)5:30 PMvs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic)New York | Madison Square GardenCBSDec. 31 (Tue.)2:00 PMBrownRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Jan. 4 (Sat.)11:00 AMFloridaRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNUJan. 7 (Tue.)7:00 PMat GeorgiaAthens, Ga. | Stegeman ColiseumSEC NetworkJan. 11 (Sat.)8:30 PMat Mississippi StateStarkville, Miss.| Humphrey ColiseumSEC NetworkJan. 14 (Tue.)7:00 PMTexas A&MRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPN2/UJan. 18 (Sat.)12:00 PMAlabamaRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNJan. 25 (Sat.)2:30 PMat VanderbiltNashville, Tenn. | Memorial GymnasiumESPN/2Jan. 28 (Tue.)7:00 PMat TennesseeKnoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling ArenaESPNFeb. 1 (Sat.)9:00 PMArkansasRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPNFeb. 4 (Tue.)7:00 PMat Ole MissOxford, Miss. | Pavilion at Ole MissESPNFeb. 8 (Sat.)12:00 PMSouth CarolinaRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPN/2Feb. 11 (Tue.)7:00 PMTennesseeRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC Network+Feb. 15 (Sat.)8:00 PMat TexasAustin, Texas | Moody CenterESPNFeb. 19 (Wed.)7:00 PMVanderbiltRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterSEC NetworkFeb. 22 (Sat.)6:00 PMat AlabamaTuscaloosa, Ala. | Coleman ColiseumESPNFeb. 26 (Wed.)9:00 PMat OklahomaNorman, Okla. | Lloyd Noble CenterSEC NetworkMarch 1 (Sat.)1:00/4:00 PMAuburnRupp Arena at Central Bank CenterABC/ESPNMarch 4 (Tue.)7:00/9:00 PMLSURupp Arena at Central Bank CenterESPN/2/UMarch 8 (Sat.)12:00 PMat MissouriColumbia, Mo. | Mizzou ArenaESPN/SEC Network

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