How to watch: Tennessee at Kentucky

by February 7, 2026

written by February 7, 2026

The next chapter of Tennessee-Kentucky is set for a primetime showdown on Saturday night. The Volunteers, winners of four straight, will head to Lexington for their second meeting of the season against the Wildcats.

Tennessee will be looking to get one back against Kentucky here after blowing a huge lead against them last month in Knoxville. Defensive breakdowns paved the way for the Wildcats to erase a near-20 point Tennessee lead.

“Just so many breakdowns,” Rick Barnes said of Tennessee’s second-half collapse in the first meeting. “We were really poor in ball-screen coverage, 3-point line coverage, you name, offensive rebounding. They had their way in the second half doing what they wanted to do. And their execution was just so much better than ours. And we’ve got to be better, plain and simple.

“And from here on out, if you don’t play forty minutes, regardless of who you’re playing, you’re going to get beat.”

After a slow start to the season, Kentucky is 7-1 over their last eight games and in the thick of the regular season SEC race. So is Tennessee, and the outcome of this one will weight heavily on that battle.

Rick Barnes holds a 4-4 mark in Rupp Arena with Tennessee — the Vols were just 2-36 in their previous 38 tries.