The Kentucky Wildcats' 2025 football schedule presents a compelling mix of non-conference matchups and challenging SEC contests and looking ahead 2026 has 2 sure wins in the non-conference as well. Here's a detailed look at the upcoming opponents and their performances in the 2024 season:
August 30: Toledo (Home)
- 2024 Record: 8-5,
- Won GameAbove Bowl game
September 6: Ole Miss (Home)
September 13: Eastern Michigan (Home)
- 2024 Record: 5-7
September 20: Open Date
September 27: at South Carolina (Away)
- 2024 Record: 9-4
- South Carolina lost the Cheez-It Citrus Bow
October 4: at Georgia (Away)
October 11: Open Date
October 18: Texas (Home)
- 2024 Record: 13-3
- Texas made the semifinals of the College football playoff losing to Ohio State.
October 25: Tennessee (Home)
- 2024 Record: 10-3
- Tennessee made the College Football Playoff losing to Ohio State
November 1: at Auburn (Away)
- 2024 Record: 5-7
- Defeated Kentucky in Lexington
November 8: Florida (Home)
- 2024 Record: 8-5
- Defeated Kentucky in the Swamp
November 15: Tennessee Tech (Home)
November 22: at Vanderbilt (Away)
- 2024 Record: 7-6
- Defeated the Cats in Lexington (noticing a theme here)
November 29: at Louisville (Away)
- 2024 Record: 9-4
- Won the Sun Bowl game
The 2025 schedule is notably rigorous, featuring three teams—Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas—that concluded the 2024 season in the College Football Playoff. And a schedule that features only two teams that had a losing record in 2024, it does not get any easier for Stoops.
Looking ahead to 2026, the schedule includes non-conference games against Youngstown State on September 5 and South Alabama on September 26, both at home. The annual rivalry game against Louisville is slated for November 28.
Mark Stoops needs a really big bounce back in 2025 to even see 2026 as the head coach. Can he pull it off?