Blue blood programs will collide when Kentucky and North Carolina hit the court at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats are still searching for their first win over a ranked opponent after dropping games against Louisville and Michigan State last month. Kentucky recently crushed Loyola Maryland and Tennessee Tech, building some momentum heading into this matchup.

UNC suffered its first loss of the 2025-26 season on Thursday, falling to Michigan State at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The Tar Heels have been getting consistent production from Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, but they may need their role players to step up if they want to secure a road victory.

Here is everything you need to know about Kentucky vs. UNC, including TV and streaming options for the game.

What channel is Kentucky vs. UNC on?

Kentucky vs. UNC will air on ESPN. College basketball fans can also stream the game on the ESPN app.

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Kentucky vs. UNC start time

  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 2
  • Time: 9:30 p.m. ET

Kentucky vs. UNC will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky vs. UNC radio station

  • Radio station: SiriusXM channels 81 (UNC broadcast), 191 (Kentucky broadcast)

You can listen to Kentucky vs. UNC live on SiriusXM. Coverage will be available on channels 81 (UNC broadcast) and 191 (Kentucky broadcast).

New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Kentucky men’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Here is the upcoming schedule for the Wildcats:

Date Opponent Time (ET)
Dec. 2 vs. UNC 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 5 vs. Gonzaga 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 vs. North Carolina Central 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. Indiana 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 20 vs. St. John’s* 12:30 p.m.

*Neutral site

UNC men’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Here is the upcoming schedule for the Tar Heels:

Date Opponent Time (ET)
Dec. 2 at Kentucky 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 7 vs. Georgetown 5 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. South Carolina Upstate 2 p.m.
Dec. 16 vs. East Tennessee State 8 p.m.
Dec. 20 vs. Ohio State 3 p.m.

*Neutral site

College basketball AP top 25 rankings

  1. Purdue
  2. Arizona
  3. Michigan
  4. Duke
  5. UConn
  6. Louisville
  7. Michigan State
  8. Houston
  9. BYU
  10. Iowa State
  11. Gonzaga
  12. Alabama
  13. Tennessee
  14. Illinois
  15. Florida
  16. North Carolina
  17. Vanderbilt
  18. Kentucky
  19. Texas Tech
  20. Auburn
  21. Kansas
  22. Indiana
  23. St. John’s
  24. USC
  25. Arkansas

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