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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Fans won’t have to wait long for John Calipari’s return to Lexington, with Arkansas‘ road game at Kentucky highlighting the 2024-25 SEC schedule announced Monday.
The two teams will face off just once next season. It will be Calipari’s first return trip to Rupp Arena since leaving last month to take over at conference rival Arkansas following 15 seasons at Kentucky.
Since getting the job, Calipari has signed three members of what was the Wildcats’ No. 2-ranked recruiting class, while also landing two Kentucky transfers.
Both Calipari and Kentucky’s Mark Pope took over empty rosters. Kentucky will return zero players from last season, keeping just one recruit who committed to the Wildcats under Calipari. Arkansas returns no players from the Eric Musselman era, and both high school senior recruits followed Musselman to USC.
Alabama, which reached the Final Four this past season, will likely enter 2024-45 as the favorite in the SEC. The Crimson Tide have had success in the transfer portal and regained the services of starting forward Grant Nelson. Nate Oats’ program faces Auburn, Kentucky and Mississippi State twice next season.
Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee are all also ranked in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.
The SEC expands to 16 teams with Oklahoma and Texas joining this summer. Each team will face the other 15 at least once next season. The three remaining conference games will include two permanent home-and-home rivals and one opponent that will change each year.
Dates and times will be announced at a later date. Conference play begins Jan. 4, 2025.