The Black Friday matchup at Rupp Arena will be the programs’ third meeting overall and their first outside the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky will host Wichita State on Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington. The Black Friday game will be the first regular-season meeting between the men’s basketball programs. Wichita State announced it as part of its 2026-27 non-conference schedule; tip time and television details remain TBA.
Wichita State confirmed the date and venue in its official game announcement, while Kentucky’s official 2026-27 schedule lists the Wildcats’ surrounding non-conference games.
Confirmed game details
• Date: Friday, Nov. 27, 2026 (Black Friday).
• Venue: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Matchup: Kentucky vs Wichita State.
• Series note: first regular-season meeting between the programs.
• All-time series: Kentucky leads 2-0.
• Tip time: TBA.
• Television: TBA.
Two previous meetings, both in March Madness
Kentucky and Wichita State have met only twice, and both games came in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
• In 2014, No. 8 seed Kentucky beat unbeaten No. 1 seed Wichita State 78-76. The loss ended the Shockers’ 35-0 start, and Kentucky later reached the national championship game.
• In 2017, No. 2 seed Kentucky beat No. 10 seed Wichita State 65-62.
Those results give Kentucky a 2-0 series lead, but the Nov. 27 game changes the setting. The schools will meet on Kentucky’s home floor after two neutral-site postseason games, and there will be no NCAA Tournament elimination attached to the result.
The two tournament games were decided by five points in total: Kentucky won by two in 2014 and by three in 2017. The close margins give the series a competitive history despite its limited number of meetings.
Because the first two games were created by NCAA Tournament brackets, the 2026 matchup will also be the first scheduled regular-season game between the schools. It will be Wichita State’s first appearance at Rupp Arena and the third game in the all-time series.
Where the game sits on Kentucky’s schedule
The Wichita State game falls between Kentucky’s Nov. 20 neutral-site meeting with Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and its Dec. 2 road game at Virginia in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Those dates are listed on Kentucky’s official schedule.
The placement gives Kentucky a home game against Wichita State during a demanding stretch of the non-conference calendar. For the Shockers, it creates a marquee road date at Rupp Arena against the team that ended both of their previous NCAA Tournament meetings.
The Wichita Eagle, Lexington Herald-Leader and KAKE have also reported on the matchup, adding local context from both programs’ markets. The official team sources remain the primary references for the confirmed date, venue and current schedule status.
What remains to be announced
The date and venue are settled, but the tip time and television assignment have not been announced. Those details should remain TBA until Kentucky, Wichita State or the relevant broadcaster publishes an update.
For now, the central facts are confirmed: Kentucky and Wichita State will play on Nov. 27 at Rupp Arena, Kentucky leads the series 2-0, and the game will be the first regular-season meeting between the programs.
Updated: September 10, 2026
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