LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s basketball game against South Carolina on December 29 at Rupp Arena was postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracking and subsequent quarantine of individuals within the South Carolina men’s basketball program. The decision to postpone is consistent with the management requirements for COVID-19 from the Southeast Conference.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity Task Force and Medical Guidance, are available at SECsports.com. The health and safety of Wildcat student-athletes, coaches and employees remains the number one priority for UK Athletics.
The clash against South Carolina was set to be the opening of the Kentucky SEC.
The league has replacement dates scheduled for March 5-7 if games are postponed due to COVID-19 security protocols, but a replacement date has not been determined at this time.
Ticket holders in the UK will receive an email communication if additional changes are made to Kentucky’s schedule during the season. Given the unusual nature of this season – specifically, the current unknowns regarding postponed games being rescheduled or canceled games being replaced – UK Athletics appreciates the continued support, flexibility and understanding of its ticket holders. If circumstances change during the season and games are canceled and not rescheduled, UK Athletics will evaluate the credit and refund options for the part of the ticket payment at the end of the season.
This is the second adversary postponement of the season for Kentucky. The Wildcats were originally scheduled to play at Detroit Mercy on November 27 at the Bluegrass Showcase and then rescheduled for December 15 due to COVID-19 security protocols. That rescheduled game was postponed a second time due to concerns over the COVID-19 protocols and calendar logistics. A replacement date has also not been determined for this game.
According to the NCAA Division I Council structure for scheduling this season, teams can play a maximum of 27 games (24 regular season games with a three-team multi-event).
The updated Wildcats 2020-21 slate can be found here.
For news on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.