Kentucky Wildcats Football at Kroger Field
Catch all the exciting SEC action when the University of Kentucky Wildcats take the field. The Wildcats play at Kroger Field, which opened in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium, and has a current capacity of 61,000 after a $126 million renovation in 2015. Kentucky plays in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference, where they hold their own against some of the best teams in the country.
Kentucky Wildcats Football History
The University of Kentucky first fielded a football team in 1881, and has consistently fielded one since the 1891 season. Legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant led the Wildcats from 1946 to 1953 and steered Kentucky to a dream season in 1950, where they went 11-1, winning the SEC title and defeated the unbeaten Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl. The Wildcats also won a share of the 1976 SEC title under Fran Curci, and finished 10-1 the next season. Hal Mumme brought his electric "Air Raid" offense to Kentucky in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which helped quarterback Tim Couch be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. In 2019, head coach Mark Stoops ensured Kentucky was a force to be reckoned with, installing a hard-hitting defense which produced one of the top prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft in linebacker Josh Allen.
The Kentucky Wildcats have heated rivalries against such SEC East foes as Tennessee and Vanderbilt, a cross-division rivalry against Mississippi State and non-conference rivalries against Indiana and their cross-state foes, Louisville, who they face off against in the annual Governor's Cup. Over the years, Kentucky has had many legendary players, including Pro Football Hall of Famer George Blanda, who played under Bear Bryant, center Dermontti Dawson, wide receiver Randall Cobb and Super Bowl–winning quarterback Jared Lorenzen. During the Mark Stoops era, many top players have led the way, including Josh Allen and running back Benny Snell Jr., both of whom led the Wildcats to a 27-24 victory in the 2019 Citrus Bowl over No. 13 Penn State en route to a No. 12 ranking in the AP poll at the end of the 2018 season.