2013-14 basketball schedule released

With just three months until the 2013-14 college basketball season gets underway, the Southeastern Conference announced the league's 18-game schedule on Tuesday, completing the Florida Gators' roster of opponents ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Florida will take on seven opponents that participated in the 2013 NCAA Tournament and participate in three special events including the inaugural Big 12/SEC Challenge (Dec. 10 vs. Kansas, ESPN), 2013 Jimmy V. Classic (Dec. 17 vs. Memphis, ESPN) and the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic (Dec. 21 vs. Fresno State, FSN), which UF will be taking part in for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons.

UF's non-conference schedule is also highlighted by the second half of a home-and-home series against Wisconsin in Gainesville, FL, on Nov. 12 (ESPN), a home contests against Florida State on Nov. 29 (ESPN2) and a road game at UConn on Dec. 2 (ESPN2).

As part of the SEC's 18-game schedule, the Gators will face five opponents in home-and-home series including Kentucky (permanent rival), Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee. Florida will also host Georgia, Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M but head out on the road to take on Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

The Gators begin their SEC slate with a home game against South Carolina (Jan. 8) but play four of their next six contests on the road. After a three-game home stand at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center from Feb. 1-8, Florida plays five of its next seven games away from the friendly confines of the O'Dome - including a Feb. 15 game at Kentucky that will be featured on ESPN's College GameDay - before concluding the season with Senior Day against Kentucky on March 8.

UF also has a pair of dreaded Thursday-Saturday back-to-backs in consecutive weeks. The Gators will travel to Alabama on Jan. 23 before facing Tennessee at home on Jan. 25 only to turn around the next week and travel to Mississippi State on Jan. 30 before hosting Texas A&M in Gainesville on Feb. 1.

Florida will play three games on CBS for the first time since the 2009-10 season, 16 contests on the ESPN family of networks, two games on the syndicated SEC Network, two more on FOX Sports Florida and one on Comcast SportSouth. Times and television affiliations for nine non-conference games are yet to be announced.

2013-14 Florida basketball schedule:

Nov. 1 - vs. Florida Southern (Exhibition) - TBA

Nov. 8 - vs. North Florida - TBA

Nov. 12 - vs. Wisconsin - 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Nov. 16 - vs. Arkansas-Little Rock - TBA

Nov. 18 - vs. Southern - TBA

Nov. 21 - vs. Middle Tennessee - TBA

Nov. 25 - at Jacksonville - TBA

Nov. 29 - vs. Florida State - 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Dec. 2 - at UConn - 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Dec. 10 - vs. 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) - TBA (FSN)

Dec. 29 - vs. Savannah State - TBA

Jan. 4 - vs. Richmond - TBA

Jan. 8 - vs. South Carolina - 7 p.m. (CSS)

Jan. 11 - at Arkansas - 1 p.m. (ESPN2)

Jan. 14 - vs. 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 - vs. Tennessee - 4 p.m. (ESPN2)

Jan. 30 - at Mississippi State - 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Feb. 1 - vs. Texas A&M - 4 p.m. (SEC Network)

Feb. 4 - vs. Missouri - 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Feb. 8 - vs. Alabama - 12 p.m. (ESPN)

Feb. 11 - at Tennessee - 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Feb. 15 - at Kentucky (College GameDay) - 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Feb. 19 - vs. Auburn - 7 p.m. (FSN)

Feb. 22 - at Ole Miss - 12 p.m. (CBS)

Feb. 25 - at Vanderbilt - 7 p.m. (ESPN)

March 1 - vs. LSU - 4 p.m. (CBS)

March 4 - at South Carolina - 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

March 8 - vs. Kentucky (Senior Day) - 12 p.m. (CBS)