LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the SEC going to a nine-game league schedule in 2026 and the ACC likely to follow suit since it would then be the only Power Four

Here's what Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops had to say about the SEC schedule now including nine league games for each team beginning in 2026.

How Kentucky vs Louisville football rivalry could be impacted by nine-game SEC schedule Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal Thu, May 29, 2025 · 3 min read

Jeff Brohm and Mark Stoops are pretty different in football philosophies, but on this they’re aligned — they say they want Louisville and Kentucky to keep playing each other.

The ACC will be the last major conference playing eight games as the SEC announced it will begin playing nine games next season.

The SEC has officially made the move to play nine conference games, with a caveat: each team must schedule one power conference opponent in its non-conference slate. Could that push the Big Ten into implementing a similar requirement?

The Kentucky Wildcats rivalry against the Louisville Cardinals used to be one of the best rivalry games in college hoops, but as the Louisville program fell on hard times, so did this marquee matchup.

For the first time in the history of the “Battle of the Bluegrass” rivalry, Kentucky and Louisville will clash in November to kick off the 2025-26 season (Nov. 11 at Louisville). This will likely be one of the most anticipated games in recent history of the rivalry,

The Kentucky Wildcats rivalry against the Louisville Cardinals used to be one of the best rivalry games in college hoops, but as the Louisville program fell on hard times, so did this marquee matchup.

Year in and year out, one of the biggest games of the season for the Kentucky basketball team will always be the matchup with in-state rival Louisville. Last se