The 2026 Kentucky football schedule does not bother with a soft landing.
One week off the soft opener, then straight into Alabama at home and Texas A&M on the road. The schedule throws two ranked opponents at Lexington by Week 3 and dares Kentucky Wildcats football to keep up. A home date with LSU for Homecoming, road trips to Oklahoma and Tennessee, and the in-state rivalry against Louisville close out a demanding SEC slate.
Here is the complete 2026 Kentucky football schedule with dates, locations, times and television information.
2026 Kentucky Football Schedule
| Date | Logo | Opponent | Time | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Youngstown State PenguinsKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 1:00 PM ETSECN+ | ||
| Saturday | Alabama Crimson TideKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 3:30 PM ETABC | ||
| Saturday | at Texas A&M AggiesKyle Field, College Station, TX | 3:30 PM ETESPN or ESPN2 | ||
| Saturday | South Alabama JaguarsKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 12:45 PM ETSECN | ||
| Saturday | at South Carolina GamecocksWilliams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC | 3:30–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Homecoming | ||||
| Saturday | LSU TigersKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 6:00–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | at Oklahoma SoonersGaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK | 3:30–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | Vanderbilt CommodoresKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 6:00–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | OFF | |||
| Saturday | at Tennessee VolunteersNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN | 6:00–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | Florida GatorsKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 6:00–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | at Missouri TigersFaurot Field, Columbia, MO | 6:00–8:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | Louisville CardinalsKroger Field, Lexington, KY | 12:00–1:00 PM ETTV TBA | ||
| Saturday | vs SEC ChampionshipMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | 4:00 PM ETABC | ||
A Trial by Fire in September
Youngstown State is the only true breather on the 2026 Kentucky Wildcats football schedule, and it comes in Week 1. By Week 2, Alabama is already in Lexington, ranked and dangerous. Week 3 sends the Wildcats to College Station for a Texas A&M team expected to open as a top-10 opponent. Two ranked games in a three-week stretch, with South Alabama squeezed in between, creates early survival testing for Kentucky football. How the team responds to those first three weeks will set the tone for everything that follows.
October Doesn’t Get Any Kinder
South Carolina on the road opens the month, then LSU comes to Kroger Field for Homecoming. Hosting a ranked SEC team the same weekend the student section expects energy creates a unique challenge. A trip to Norman against Oklahoma follows a week later. The Vanderbilt home game and subsequent bye provide a needed window to recover before the November stretch begins. This portion of the Kentucky SEC schedule 2026 tests depth and consistency.
November Closes with Louisville and the Stretch Run
Tennessee on the road opens November, and Neyland Stadium is never an easy building to escape with a win. Florida comes to Lexington the following week, then it’s back on the road to Missouri. The regular season wraps against Louisville at home, with the in-state rivalry trophy on the line. For Kentucky Wildcats football, that final home game against Louisville often carries extra weight regardless of the records entering the matchup.
The 2026 Kentucky football schedule challenges Kentucky Wildcats football from the opening weeks through the final regular-season Saturday. Early ranked competition at home and on the road, a difficult October slate, and the traditional closer against Louisville leave little margin for error. How the Wildcats handle the Alabama and Texas A&M tests, the LSU Homecoming date, and the November road games will define the season.
FAQ
When does Kentucky football play its first game in 2026?
Kentucky opens the 2026 Kentucky football schedule at home against Youngstown State on Saturday, September 5, at Kroger Field.
When is Kentucky vs Louisville 2026?
Kentucky vs Louisville 2026 is set for Saturday, November 28, at Kroger Field in Lexington.
How many home games does Kentucky play in 2026?
Kentucky has seven Kentucky football home games in 2026 at Kroger Field: Youngstown State, Alabama, South Alabama, LSU, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Louisville.
What is Kentucky’s toughest stretch on the 2026 schedule?
The three-game run from Alabama through Texas A&M and into LSU’s Homecoming visit — September 12 through October 10 — is the toughest stretch on the Kentucky SEC schedule 2026, with Oklahoma and Tennessee still to come on the road in the weeks after.
