Back to the Kentucky Wildcats Newsfeed

Pro football returns to Kentucky: Meet the new Arena Football team, the Kentucky Barrels

The Kentucky Barrels are Ccoming: Jeff Fisher and AF1 bring Arena Football back to the Bluegrass

For years, Kentucky fans have filled the football void from February to August with recruiting news, spring practice, and countdown clocks. But in 2026, they’ll finally have something tangible to enjoy during those quiet months: the return of Arena Football to the Bluegrass State.

The announcement came from none other than former NFL head coach and current AF1 commissioner Jeff Fisher, who introduced the Kentucky Barrels as one of the league’s expansion franchises.