Auburn’s SEC road begins in Knoxville this year and ends at Auburn Arena.

The SEC released its master conference schedule for the 2012 men’s basketball season, and the Tigers couldn’t have a much tougher start to Tony Barbee’s second year at the helm.

Auburn opens conference play at Vanderbilt on Jan. 7 at 12:30 p.m., then returns home for its SEC home opener against Final Four team Kentucky on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.

The Tigers host rival Alabama on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. – televised on ESPNU – before traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. — televised on the SEC Network.

The first Alabama tilt is one of four conference games Auburn will have televised on the ESPN networks, along with the Jan. 17 matchup at LSU (6 p.m., ESPNU), a Jan. 28 game at Tennessee (TBD, ESPN2) and a Feb. 21 matchup at Florida (6 p.m., ESPNU).

Auburn’s SEC finale, hosting LSU on March 3, will be televised on CBS Sports, with a 1 p.m. tipoff.

Auburn’s SEC schedule:
Jan. 7 - at Vanderbilt, 12:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 11 - vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 14 - vs. Ole Miss, 12:30 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 17 - at LSU, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Jan. 21 - vs. South Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (SEC)
Jan. 25 - at Arkansas, 8 p.m. (CSS)
Jan. 28 - at Tennessee, TBD (ESPN2)
Feb. 1 - vs. Georgia, 7 p.m. (SEC)
Feb. 4 - at Mississippi St., 3 p.m. (SEC)
Feb. 7 - vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Feb. 11 - at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. (FSN)
Feb. 18 - vs. Mississippi St., 7 p.m. (FSN)
Feb. 21 - at Florida, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Feb. 25 - vs. Arkansas, 3 p.m. (SEC)
Feb. 29 - at Alabama, 7 p.m. (SEC)
March 3 - vs. LSU, 1 p.m. (CBS Sports)