For months, the SEC has debated expanding to a nine-game conference football schedule, following the lead of the Big Ten and Big 12. Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart has been publicly cautious about the idea, warning that an extra SEC game could make bowl eligibility harder and revenue balancing trickier for mid-tier programs.
Now, Kentucky’s 2026 schedule may have given away the conference’s near-future plans earlier than they may have wanted.
According to a contract obtained by FBSchedules.com, Kentucky has added Kent State as a fourth non-conference opponent for the 2026 season.