A scheduling shake-up forces the Wildcats into a tough financial decision
The Southeastern Conference, in its infinite wisdom, has finally pulled the trigger on a nine-game conference schedule. While fans celebrate the promise of more high-stakes SEC matchups, athletic departments across the league are scrambling to check the fine print on their future non-conference contracts. For the University of Kentucky, this new mandate isn't just a logistical headache; it's a million-dollar problem.
Here’s the rub: along with the nine SEC games, the conference is also mandating that every team play at least one opponent from a Power 4 conference each year. For Kentucky, that box is permanently checked by the annual Governor's Cup rivalry against Louisville. This leaves only two remaining non-conference slots for what are often called "buy games"—games where a larger program pays a smaller one a hefty sum to visit and, usually, take a loss.
The Wildcats' 2026 schedule is now officially overbooked. They have four non-conference games scheduled: Louisville, Kent State, Youngstown State, and South Alabama. One of them has to go.
Breaking a contract in college football isn't cheap. Let's look at the price tags. Kentucky recently inked a deal to pay Kent State a cool $1.6 million, according to FBschedules.com, to make the trip to Kroger Field. That's a steep buyout. Then there's Youngstown State, a game with deep personal ties for head coach Mark Stoops, who grew up in the Ohio city. According to local station WFMJ, the Wildcats are set to pay the Penguins $575,000 for the matchup. Canceling on his hometown team would be a tough pill for Stoops to swallow.
That leaves South Alabama. As of now, the financial details of that agreement aren't public, which might make it the most logical candidate for cancellation. But "logical" doesn't mean free. Kentucky will almost certainly have to write a significant check to the Jaguars to convince them to stay home.
In the new era of college football, it's not just about paying teams to play you. Now, thanks to the SEC's latest chess move, Kentucky has to pay a team not to.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premiere League soccer. #UpTheAlbion