First impressions from Kentucky Football’s first three kickoffs

Earlier today, the kickoff times and TV assignments were announced for Kentucky Football‘s first three games of the upcoming season. We now know that the Wildcats will open 2025 with a daytime kickoff against Toledo, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network. A week later, Ole Miss comes to Lexington for the SEC opener, kicking off in the sweet spot at 3:30 p.m. Then, Kentucky hosts Eastern Michigan under the lights at 7:30 p.m. in Week 3.

• Aug. 30, 12:45 PM: vs. Toledo | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | SEC Network
• Sept 6, 3:30 PM: vs. Ole Miss | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | ABC
• Sep. 13, 7:30 PM: vs. Eastern Michigan | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | ESPNU

The rest of the schedule will fall into place further down the road. Until then, here are immediate takeaways from the three-week reveal.

No waiting around for Toledo

Kentucky’s football fans have taken a beating in the home game experiences lately. Last year, Kentucky went winless at home against Power 4 opponents, losing to South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Louisville, after fans sat through a three-hour lightning delay in the season opener against Southern Miss. Before that, Kentucky lost three consecutive home games to end 2023.

The fans are anxious for some wins in Lexington, even if it’s a Week 1 non-conference victory. This year’s Week 1 opponent is no pushover, though. Kentucky hosts Toledo, an experienced team projected as the preseason favorite to win the MAC. Toledo even won its SEC game last year, beating Mississippi State by 24 points in Starkville.

When Kentucky hosts Toledo in Week 1, they’ll get right to it with a 12:45 kick, leaving little time to sit around anticipating the opener. Some of you need to ease back into the tailgating scene anyway.

Another high-stakes ABC game in Week 2

Last season, Kentucky played its first ABC network game under the new TV deal, hosting South Carolina in Week 2, with “SEC Nation” in town. You may recall that game being an absolute disaster in front of a national audience. To remind you, Kentucky lost by 25 points as a double-digit favorite, setting the stage for a long and disappointing season in Lexington.

This year, Kentucky finds itself in the same Week 2 time slot on ABC, with Ole Miss in for South Carolina on the visiting sideline. The stakes are the same, assuming Kentucky handles its business against Toledo. The Week 2 game against Ole Miss could inject new energy and excitement into Mark Stoops’ program, or it could repeat this spot last fall, spiraling things further into decline. Expect “SEC Nation” to be there again, too.

.@JRodgers11 and Lexington came READY for SEC Nation 😼 pic.twitter.com/BwUeOQNm3e

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 7, 2024

The 3:30 game with Ole Miss would’ve been nice in Oxford

Oh, NOW the Kentucky-Ole Miss game gets a 3:30 p.m. start. Where was the 3:30 start in Kentucky’s last three trips to Oxford–you know, the best place to tailgate in the SEC? Kentucky played at Ole Miss only three times in 20 years, and all three games kicked off at 11 a.m. local, barely allowing any pregame fun in the Grove. This year, Kentucky and Ole Miss fans get another three and a half hours to get ready for their SEC opener in Lexington. That would’ve been nice in Oxford.

Eastern Michigan is the first night game of the fall

The Eastern Michigan game provides the first all-day tailgate opportunity of 2025. Kentucky hosts the Eagles under the lights of Kroger Field, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The verdict is still out on whether or not this is a good time slot following the Ole Miss matchup. At 2-0, Kentucky should have a pretty good crowd taking advantage of the tailgating in Week 3. But if the Ole Miss game looks anything like last year’s South Carolina debacle, the parking lots will mostly be empty on that Saturday, September 13 afternoon. Fan support is dicey these days due to UK’s recent home record, and Kentucky needs a hot start to a critical year in Lexington.

Kentucky Football 2025 Schedule

• Aug. 30, 12:45 PM: vs. Toledo | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | SEC Network
• Sept 6, 3:30 PM: vs. Ole Miss | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | ABC
• Sep. 13, 7:30 PM: vs. Eastern Michigan | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY) | ESPNU
• Sept. 20: OPEN
• Sept. 27: at South Carolina | Williams-Brice Stadium (Columbia, SC)
• Oct. 4: at Georgia | Sanford Stadium (Athens, GA)
• Oct. 11: OPEN
• Oct. 18: vs. Texas | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY)
• Oct. 25: vs. Tennessee | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY)
• Nov. 1: at Auburn | Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn, AL)
• Nov. 8: vs. Florida | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY)
• Nov. 15: vs. Tennessee Tech | Kroger Field (Lexington, KY)
• Nov. 22: at Vanderbilt | FirstBank Stadium (Nashville, TN)
• Nov. 29: at Louisville | L&N Stadium (Louisville, KY)