What will Kentucky's record be in conference play this season?

The Wildcats will have plenty of challenges in the tough conference this season.

Feb 5, 2022; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Kentucky is set to begin a new era welcoming in Mark Pope as its new head coach very soon. This season, the Wildcats will have a tough nonconference schedule on their hands as they play Duke, at Clemson, Gonzaga, Louisville, and Ohio State, among others. On top of that, the SEC just got even stronger with Texas and Oklahoma now in the conference.

The SEC is looking absolutely loaded once again. ESPN even released their latest update to their "Way Too Early" top 25 rankings a couple of weeks ago, and a number of teams from the SEC are included. Those are Alabama (No. 2), Auburn (No. 11), Texas A&M (No. 12), Tennessee (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 14), Ole Miss (No. 20), Florida (No. 21), Texas (No. 22), and Kentucky at No. 23 overall.

As you can see, the SEC is expected to be absolutely loaded once again, even more this season, as over half of the conference is currently projected top 25 in the entire country. With that, Kentucky's conference schedule will present a big challenge for Pope in his first season in Lexington. The biggest matchup heading into the season is obviously the return of John Calipari and Arkansas to Rupp Arena. That will be a tough matchup for the Wildcats, and fans will see a number of familiar faces on the Razorbacks' roster.

The Wildcats will open SEC play this season welcoming Florida into Rupp Arena before hitting the road to take on Georgia. Those games should be wins, but heading to Mississippi State after Georgia could trip up Kentucky. Kentucky faces Alabama twice along with Tennessee. Those series matchups are expected to be split, especially with Alabama, who could start the season top 3 overall. Tennessee could start in the top 15, and that series is always tough for Kentucky given the rivalry. The Wildcats will also welcome Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC by paying a visit to both programs. Those games will also be tough for the Wildcats, but the experience of this roster should help with road environments.

With just how good the SEC is expected to be, a 12-6 conference record looks like the most likely scenario. The Wildcats have a brutal schedule to begin with, but the conference schedule is loaded because of just how good many of the teams are. Kentucky will be up for the challenges when the time comes to get conference play rolling. Check out the full 2024-25 schedule here.