Just in case you were curious we are 261 days away from the start of the 2025 Kentucky Football season. I know a lot of fans might have a bad taste in their mouth after this season’s performance by the Wildcats, however, with the transfer portal now open the countdown is on for Mark Stoops to start building a roster for the upcoming season.

Tonight the SEC gave a full schedule for all teams within the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky had one of the hardest schedules in the SEC last season and it is looking like they will be in the same situation next year as well.

The first week Kentucky will start out with a battle against Toledo. Toledo is from the MAC and finished 7-5 on the year and sixth overall in their first own conference.

The Wildcats waste no time as in week two they will host the Ole Miss Rebels who are looking for some payback after Kentucky shocked them down at The Grove this past season. Lane Kiffin and his high-powered offense look to be a national relevance again, this time looking to overcome the Wildcats on the road.

Week three brings Kentucky their third straight home game to start the season when they play host to the Eastern Michigan Eagles. The Eagles are another MAC school and they finished the season in 2024 at 5-7 and ninth overall in their conference. Stoops always harps on how underrated the MAC is, so while it will likely be a guaranteed win on the schedule, it will still be a great early test on the year.

Kentucky gets a bye week in week four so that they can rest up before heading on their first road game of the season in week five.

In week five, Kentucky will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks to try to get some revenge from week two of this past season. They were dominated by South Carolina for the second time in three years on their own home field. Kentucky is on a three-game losing streak to their SEC East opponent. From 2014-21, the Cats won 7 of 8 with a stretch of five in a row. The tide has turned recently.

Week six takes the Wildcats back on the road in week as they head to Athens, Georgia to take on this season’s SEC Champions, the Georgia Bulldogs. Kentucky has been competitive with that program in Lexington over the years but it’s been a long time since they have been competitive down in the peach state.

After two straight road games, Kentucky will get their second bye week of the season coming in week seven.

In week eight the Wildcats will host the Texas Longhorns who in their first year in the SEC held their own and came very close on winning the SEC Championship title game. Many are expecting to see an Arch Manning led offense and they won’t have to travel double-digit hours away to see it. Kentucky has been great about bringing in top-talent from their conference to Kroger Field and with the addition of the Longhorns this will be another chance to make that happen for season ticket holders. A win might result with the city burning down in flames from excitement.

Week nine the Wildcats will stay home to face the Tennessee Volunteers. Kentucky played the Volunteers well this past season in Neyland but unfortunately came up short once again. This is a game circled on the schedule each season as one of the most important, as well as one of the most passion-led matchups as the states border and have been rivaled for decades upon decades. Kentucky usually is on the losing end of this game but fans still get up for it every single time.

Back on the road again week ten will take the Kentucky Wildcats down to Auburn, Alabama where they will face the Tigers. Kentucky fell to Auburn this past season at home after leading early in the first half. A once power in college football, Kentucky has been able to pile a couple of wins over them in recent years, so this year’s loss to them was a disappointment to say the least.

Kentucky will face another SEC opponent in week eleven as they play host to the Florida Gators. After winning four of the last 6, the Wildcats fell short this season down in Gainesville losing 48-20 to a rejuvenated football team. Stoops has built this program partially on knocking down the door of defeating Florida routinely, so it’s safe to say fans expected Kentucky to beat them this year (which didn’t happen) and in the future. The program eagerly wants to get back to that.

Kentucky gets a break from the gauntlet of the SEC in week twelve as they host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles to start the close of the regular season. Tennessee Tech finished 7-5 this past season and was first overall in the Ohio Valley Conference. When you play such a gruesome conference schedule on a yearly basis, games like these are thrown into the mix to help your overall record out.

Week thirteen rounds out Kentucky’s SEC play as they make a short road trip to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Coming off one of their best seasons in program history, Kentucky looks to get things back on track like they were from 2016-21, and not losing to the ‘Dores and feeling like the sky is falling when it happens. This program is at the level now where you shouldn’t lose to them, but they have as of late, which isn’t acceptable.

Kentucky, in week fourteen and their final game of the season, will attempt to bring the Governor’s Cup back to Lexington as they take another road trip west to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. Previously on a 5-game winning streak, that was snapped this season in an embarrassing fashion at Kroger Field. Little brother got one for once but we can’t let them get back-to-back. That’s our thing.

Like I said previously, Kentucky’s schedule last season was extremely difficult but I don’t see much room for error in next season’s either. It’s a brutal schedule but coming off a 4-8 season you have to grind out some wins that you aren’t necessarily expecting to get if you want to keep fans happy.

Thanks for reading! We hope to see you again. To not miss any breaking news, follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter to see our daily content in real time.