Tre Johnson’s clutch three in double overtime sealed Texas’ gritty 94-88 win over Texas A&M — but it also pushed Kentucky’s SEC opener into dangerous territory. Wildcat fans were already bracing for a tough tournament run, with 6 teams in the AP Top 25. But now they’re facing a different challenge — a brutal tip-off time.

Thursday’s game against Oklahoma means a great deal for Mark Pope and the Big Blue Nation. Because a win would not only mean a first SEC Tournament victory for first-year coach Mark Pope, but a first for the program since 2022. It is a game the Wildcats faithful would hardly like to miss. But the conference isn’t making it easy for them.

According to Matt Jones, host of Kentucky Sports Radio and NFL Preview on ESPN Radio, “Missouri-Mississippi State will begin at 7:48 pm Eastern. That means UK-Oklahoma will start at 10:18 pm (at the earliest) Lateeeeeeee Night.”

All the SEC Tournament games are scheduled to be played at Bridgestone Arena, with about 25-minute gap in between. Unfortunate for the Wildcats, they are the last of the 4 matchups scheduled for Thursday. Staying up late is one thing, but watching your team’s fate unfold past midnight? That’s a different kind of madness — and Kentucky fans aren’t happy about it.

A 9:30 p.m. tip-off was already tough, but now Kentucky’s tournament opener creeping toward 10:30 p.m. feels more like overtime before the game even starts. It’s no longer just about strategy — it’s about survival. Players face the brutal task of adjusting their game prep and recovery on the fly, knowing they’ll have less than 24 hours to bounce back if they win. For fans, it means burning the midnight oil, hoping their Wildcats can outlast both the Sooners and the clock.

Kentucky fans sound off as Mark Pope’s Wildcats face brutal late-night tip-off

This has frustration mounting across the Kentucky fanbase. One fan vented, “Bball has had a scheduling problem all year. Need a researcher to determine how many games lasted the 2 hours TV allots.”

After Texas and Texas A&M’s double-overtime battle, Kentucky vs. Oklahoma is now set for a brutal 10:30 PM ET tip-off — an hour later than scheduled. And with teams battling to the wire, there’s no guarantee future games will stay within the 2-hour TV window.

Another fan pointed out, “SEC could have scheduled this better.” Yeah, they could have, but the problem isn’t over yet. A win after a late tip-off would mean less than 24 hours gap before the game in the next round. Fans do not like the hustle.

One fan said, “‘It’s the SEC’s own fault….no reason why they can’t start the games earlier for this exact reason.” And they have a point. The first game started at 12 noon between Arkansas and Ole Miss, setting the stage for cascading delays if any game runs long — which happens more often than not. Even the NCAA recognized this issue, moving the 2025 national championship tip-off 30 minutes earlier to 8:50 p.m. ET to avoid late-night finishes. The SEC could have followed suit — but then again, TV slots always seem to win out over common sense.

Another fan vented, “They have to fix this. It’s ridiculous, no east coast game should start after 10.” Fair point — except the game is in Nashville, which sits in the Central time zone. Still, for Kentucky fans, it doesn’t matter what the clock says — they’ve been waiting since 2019 to see their team win an SEC Tournament game in Nashville. A late start just makes the wait that much harder.

One fan begged, “For the love of God, can we not get these games to start at 11 in the morning?” Sounds simple enough — but TV networks like CBS, ESPN, and TNT have other priorities. Prime-time slots bring in the biggest ratings and, more importantly, the most ad money. Starting games earlier might make sense for fans, but for the networks, it’s all about the bottom line.

As of this writing, Kentucky leads 19-14 with 11 minutes left in the first half, but the bigger question is how much they’ll have left in the tank if they advance. With tight turnarounds and more late-night tip-offs looming, Kentucky’s biggest opponent might not be the Sooners — it’s the schedule itself.