UK football’s 2013 schedule features seven home games and five road, including a trip to Nashville to face Western Kentucky University. (Aaron Borton, UK Athletics)
Fans in Commonwealth Stadium are going to be seeing some pretty good teams come next fall.On Thursday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference unveiled eight-game conference schedules for each of the league’s 14 teams. Kentucky’s schedule features home games against Florida (Sept. 28), Alabama (Oct. 12), Missouri (Nov. 9) and Tennessee (Nov. 30). UK will play road games against South Carolina (Oct. 5), Mississippi State (Oct. 26), Vanderbilt (Nov. 16) and Georgia (Nov. 23).The SEC’s terms this year’s slate a “bridge” schedule as the league adjusts to the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M. Athletic directors from each school will meet in spring of 2013 to determine the scheduling model for 2014 and beyond.Before that new model is adopted, each SEC team will play every team from its own decision. For UK, that means six games against the East. The remaining two games are filled by West opponents. Kentucky’s permanent West rival has historically been Mississippi State and the Bulldogs are once again on the schedule, joined by defending national champion and currently No. 1-ranked Alabama.In addition to the conference schedule, UK also released its four nonconference games on Thursday. Kentucky will continue its series with Western Kentucky University, playing the Hilltoppers in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 31, the season opener for both teams. The Cats will also host Louisville with the Governor’s Cup on the line on Sept. 14. Remaining home games will be played against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 7 and Alabama State on Nov. 2.UK has two open dates of the course of the season. The first comes between home games against Louisville and Florida, the second between Alabama and a road trip to Mississippi State.Here is the complete week-by-week schedule.Aug. 31: vs. Western Kentucky (Nashville)Sept. 7: MIAMI (OHIO)Sept. 14: LOUISVILLESept. 21: OPENSept. 28: FLORIDAOct. 5: at South CarolinaOct. 12: ALABAMAOct. 19: OPENOct. 26: at Mississippi StateNov. 2: ALABAMA STATENov. 9: MISSOURINov. 16: at VanderbiltNov. 23: at GeorgiaNov. 30: Tennessee