Kentucky Football Schedule 2026: Full Wildcats Slate, Dates, and Key Games

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Will Stein’s first Kentucky schedule offers no gentle introduction. The Wildcats open with Youngstown State and then get Alabama at Kroger Field in Week 2 — Stein’s SEC debut as a head coach — followed immediately by a road trip to Texas A&M. Seven home games help, but the SEC’s new nine-game format means five conference opponents who finished last season ranked.

SEC kickoff times and networks lock 6-12 days out. This page updates as times, networks, and results come in.

2026 Team Schedule
Kentucky Football Schedule
SEC · Kroger Field · Will Stein (1st year)
7
Home Games
9
SEC Games
Sept 5
Opener vs Youngstown St.
Sept 12
Circle It: Alabama
Date Opponent Time (ET) / TV Result
Sat, Sept 5 vs Youngstown State TBA —
Sat, Sept 12 vs Alabama TBA —
Sat, Sept 19 at Texas A&M TBA —
Sat, Sept 26 vs South Alabama TBA —
Sat, Oct 3 at South Carolina TBA —
Sat, Oct 10 vs LSU TBA —
Sat, Oct 17 at Oklahoma TBA —
Sat, Oct 24 vs Vanderbilt TBA —
Sat, Oct 31 Bye Week — —
Sat, Nov 7 at Tennessee TBA —
Sat, Nov 14 vs Florida Night (6-8 PM) —
Sat, Nov 21 at Missouri TBA —
Sat, Nov 28 vs Louisville (Governor’s Cup) TBA —

Games That Will Decide Kentucky’s Season

Sept 12 vs Alabama Will Stein’s SEC debut, at home, against a ranked Alabama team in Week 2. As introductions to the job go, this is about as steep as it gets.
Oct 10 vs LSU Lane Kiffin brings LSU to Kroger Field. The most winnable of Kentucky’s marquee home games, and the one most likely to change the season’s trajectory.
Nov 14 vs Florida Two first-year head coaches, one long rivalry, in a Saturday night window in Lexington. Jon Sumrall’s Gators visit a week after Kentucky plays Tennessee.
Nov 28 vs Louisville The Governor’s Cup closes the regular season at Kroger Field. For a bowl-bubble team, the in-state rivalry may also be the sixth win.
The Stein Era Begins
Will Stein takes over in Lexington with an entirely new staff, including first-year coordinators Joe Sloan on offense and Jay Bateman on defense.
Nine SEC Games, First Time
2026 is the SEC’s first nine-game conference season, with four or five league home games in alternating years and all opponents played twice over 2026-29.
A Brutal Opening Fortnight
Alabama in Week 2 and a road trip to Texas A&M in Week 3 means Stein faces two top-15 opponents before September is half over.

How the Schedule Sets Up

Youngstown State is the warmup, and then it comes all at once: Alabama at home, Texas A&M on the road. Kentucky could be 1-2 before the calendar turns, with South Alabama as the reset. October is the meaningful stretch — South Carolina on the road, LSU at home, Oklahoma on the road, Vanderbilt at home — and realistically two of those four need to go Kentucky’s way. The bye on Halloween is well placed ahead of a November that opens at Tennessee and closes with Florida and Louisville at Kroger Field. Six wins would be a solid first season for Stein given the draw; for the postseason picture, here’s how the College Football Playoff works under the 12-team format. The move to nine conference games reflects the NCAA FBS shift toward deeper league scheduling.

The Bottom Line

Seven home games, Alabama and LSU at Kroger Field, five ranked SEC opponents, and the Governor’s Cup to close — Will Stein’s first Kentucky schedule is unforgiving early and gives him a fighting chance late. Bookmark this page; times, networks, and results are updated throughout the season.