The potential game of the year in college basketball is set for the 2024-25 season after the SEC released this season's opponents Monday. John Calipari's new-look Arkansas squad will travel to Rupp Arena to face Kentucky, but there will be only one sceduled matchup this season between the Razorbacks and the Wildcats, Calipari's former school.
Each SEC team will plays the other 15 teams in the conference at least once and will face three teams a second time in a "home-and-home" series. Two of those three teams will be play twice each season as permanent opponents with the other team changing every year.
The three teams Kentucky will play twice this season are Alabama, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The three teams Arkansas will play twice are LSU, Missouri and Texas.
The SEC will announce dates and times laterfor conference games later.
Arkansas and Kentucky will feature rosters that will look drastically different from the previous season. Since Calipari's arrival in Arkansas, he's helped land five former Kentucky pledges (Karter Knox, Zvonimir Ivišić, Boogie Fland, Adou Theiro, and Billy Richmond) to pair with former Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo and FAU star guard Johnell Davis.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope is building a roster that features zero returning scholarship players. His first transfer portal commitment came from incoming freshman guard Collin Chandler, who spent the last two years on a Mormon mission. Chandler was Pope's highest-rated signee (No. 33 overall) during his tenure at BYU.
Kentucky has landed high-profile commitments from Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea, West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa, San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, and Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh. All four players project as impact players as Kentucky enters a new era.
Another wrinkle of the schedule release includes Texas and Oklahoma receiving their respective conference opponents as part of an expanded SEC. Oklahoma faces Kentucky at home and Arkansas on the road, while Texas has a home-and-home with Arkansas and a home game against Kentucky.
Alabama
Home: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Away: Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M
Home and away: Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Arkansas
Home: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma
Away: Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Home and away: LSU, Missouri, Texas
Auburn
Home: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee
Away: Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Home and away: Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss
Florida
Home: Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State
Home and away: South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee
Georgia
Home: Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M
Home and away: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
Kentucky
Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Away: Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas
Home and away: Alabama, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
LSU
Home: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma
Home and away: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Home: Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Home and away: Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State
Mississippi State
Home: Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M
Away: Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Home and away: Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina
Missouri
Home: Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Away: Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas,
Home and away: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt
Oklahoma
Home: Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss
Home and away: Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M
South Carolina
Home: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M
Away: Kentucky, LSU, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Home and away: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State
Tennessee
Home: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina
Away: Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas
Texas A&M
Home and away: Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Texas
Home: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee
Away: Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Home and away: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Home: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Away: Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina
Home and away: LSU, Texas, Oklahoma
Vanderbilt
Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas
Away: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Home and away: Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee