The Kentucky Wildcats have scheduled a fourth non-conference opponent for next season, which points towards the SEC remaining at eight conference football games in 2026. The league had been discussing a nine-game schedule similar to the Big Ten and Big 12, but that shift appears to be on hold.
According to a copy of the contract obtained by FBschedules.com, the Kentucky Wildcats will host the Kent State Golden Flashes at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. The Wildcats will pay the Golden Flashes a $1.6 million guarantee for the game, per the contract copy.
The Wildcats and Golden Flashes are also scheduled to meet at Kroger Field during the 2028 season on Sept. 9, which we previously reported in January 2023. Kent State will receive a $1.8 million guarantee from Kentucky for that contest.
Kentucky and Kent State first met on the gridiron in 1984 and have played seven contests overall, which all resulted in victories for the Wildcats. In their most recent matchup in 2012, Kentucky won 47-14 in Lexington.
The closest margin of victory in the series came in 1991 in Lexington when the Wildcats defeated the Golden Flashes by a score of 24-6. The largest margin of victory is 42, which occurred in a 42-0 shutout in their first-ever meeting.
With the addition of Kent State, Kentucky now has four non-conference opponents scheduled for the 2026 season, and all four are home tilts. The Wildcats are slated to open the season at home against the Youngstown State Penguins on Sept. 5. Later in the season, the Wildcats will entertain the South Alabama Jaguars on Sept. 26 and the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals on Nov. 28.
The Kentucky Wildcats are the second scheduled non-conference opponent for Kent State for the 2026 season. Following the trip to Lexington, Kent State will visit the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 19.
Football Schedules