SEC Releases Hoops Schedule; 14 of Gators' 18 League Games on National TV
Tuesday, August 20, 2013 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Gators will open the upcoming Southeastern Conference basketball season at home Jan. 8 against South Carolina and end it two months later at home March 8 against Kentucky.
The SEC released its schedule Tuesday, thus putting the finishing touches on the Gators' 2013-14 slate, which looms as one of the most attractive, competitive and, yes, difficult in program history.
Again.
UF, which went 29-8 and advanced to the Elite Eight for a third straight year, gets its usual two games against Kentucky (with its top-rated recruiting class) and two against Tennessee (which already is being hailed as a top 20 team by many). There's also a trip to Arkansas (for a third straight year), plus one to Ole Miss (which upset the Gators in the SEC Tournament title game).
The Feb. 4 game against Missouri at the O'Connell Center, Feb. 11 contest at Tennessee and Feb. 25 trip to Vanderbilt will be 9 p.m. tip-offs as part of ESPN's Super Tuesday pact with the SEC.
UF will play three times on CBS, including a high-noon showdown against Kentucky in the final home game of the year.
The 18-game SEC schedule will follow a 13-game non-conference slate that includes road games at Wisconsin and Connecticut, home dates against Kansas and Florida State, plus a neutral site meeting with Memphis at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic.
UF will open the season Nov. 8 at home against North Florida, a Friday game that will likely precede Gator Growl on the eve of the football team's homecoming date against Vanderbilt.
Deadline for ordering season basketball tickets is Friday, with tickets for the games against Kansas and Kentucky available only as part of a special team-game plan. Details available here.
The schedule (starting times to be determined unless noted):
Nov. 1: Florida Southern (exhibition game), TBA
Nov. 8: North Florida, TBA
Nov. 12: at Wisconsin, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Nov. 16: Arkansas Little-Rock, TBA
Nov. 18: Southern, TBA
Nov. 21: Middle Tennessee State, TBA
Nov. 25: at Jacksonville, TBA
Nov. 29: Florida State, TBA
Dec. 2: at Connecticut, TBA
Dec. 10: Kansas (Big 12-SEC Challenge), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 17: vs. Memphis (Jimmy V Classic), New York, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 21: vs. Fresno State (Orange Bowl Classic), Sunrise, Fla., TBA
Dec. 29: Savannah State, TBA
Jan. 4: Richmond, TBA
Jan. 8: South Carolina, 7 p.m. (Comcast Sport Southeast)
Jan. 11: at Arkansas, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 14: Georgia, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Jan. 18: at Auburn, 4 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 23: at Alabama, 7 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Jan. 25: Tennessee, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 30: at Mississippi State, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Feb. 1: Texas A&M, 4 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 4: Missouri, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 8: Alabama, noon (ESPN)
Feb. 11: at Tennessee, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 15: at Kentucky, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 19: Auburn, 7 p.m. (Fox Sports Net)
Feb. 22: at Ole Miss, noon (CBS)
Feb. 25: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
March 1: LSU, 4 p.m. (CBS)
March 4: at South Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
March 8: Kentucky (Senior Day), noon (CBS)
March 12-16: SEC Tournament (Atlanta)
