To the delight of many, SEC football returns this Saturday with plenty of exciting matchups. Now that football is back in the fold, the next question is the return date for SEC basketball.

It appears there’s now some clarity on that front. The SEC will play one regular season conference contest on either Dec. 29 or Dec. 30, according to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. The opponents and start time are yet to be determined.

Regardless, amidst all of the schedule shuffling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an encouraging sign for basketball after last season’s cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. It remains to be seen what protocols will be implemented, but based on the football guidelines, social distancing and mask wearing should figure into the safety precautions.

Last season, Kentucky posted the best record in SEC play, followed by a tie for second place between Auburn and LSU.