LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The 2016 Kentucky football schedule will feature seven home games and five road tilts, announced Thursday night, Oct. 29 by the Southeastern Conference.

Coach Mark Stoops (pictured) and his Wildcats will face a challenging schedule in 2016, including home conference games with South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Mississippi State. UK will travel to Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and non-conference foe Louisville. UK will open its schedule with the 2016 lidlifter vs. Southern Miss on Sept. 3 at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats will then travel to Florida on Sept. 10 to open its league slate, before breaking from SEC play to host New Mexico State on Sept. 17.

The Wildcats will then face three SEC foes, hosting South Carolina (Sept. 24) and Vanderbilt (Oct. 8), and traveling to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama (Oct. 1). UK will break for an open date on Oct. 15, before hosting Mississippi State on Oct. 22 and traveling to face Missouri on Oct. 29. Kentucky will then host Georgia on Nov. 5, will travel to Tennessee on Nov. 12, before concluding its home schedule with Austin Peay on Nov. 19. Kentucky and Louisville will then conclude the regular season on Nov. 26 at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. It marks the second consecutive season UK will finish the year with two straight non-conference games. For the 25th consecutive year, the 2015 regular season will culminate with the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, December 3 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Sept. 3 SOUTHERN MISS Sept. 10 at Florida Sept. 17 NEW MEXICO STATE Sept. 24 SOUTH CAROLINA Oct. 1 at Alabama Oct. 8 VANDERBILT Oct. 15 open date Oct. 22 MISSISSIPPI STATE Oct. 29 at Missouri Nov. 5 GEORGIA Nov. 12 at Tennessee Nov. 19 AUSTIN PEAY Nov. 26 at Louisville

​Photo by Jamie H. Vaught