Oklahoma will host Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Norman for the Sooners' first regular-season conference home night game since the 2024 Alabama upset.
The SEC set the kickoff time Monday, Oct. 5, with the game airing on SEC Network, Sooners Wire's Aaron Gelvin reported. Oklahoma Football confirmed the slot on its official X account the same day.
The matchup will be the first between the Sooners and Wildcats since OU joined the SEC. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 2-1, with the last meeting a 29-8 Sooner victory in Lexington in 1982, according to the OU Daily's season preview.
Kentucky enters the game under first-year head coach Will Stein, a former Oregon offensive coordinator. The Wildcats went 5-7 in 2025.
Throwbacks get their first conference test
OU is expected to wear its Bud Wilkinson-era throwback uniforms against Kentucky, making it the first time the program has worn the retro uniforms in a conference game. The throwbacks honor the Sooners' look from 1946 to 1956, according to Yahoo Sports.
Oklahoma has worn the jerseys once in each of the past two seasons, beating Houston in 2024 and Kent State in 2025. The Kentucky game was designated the "Throwback" theme when OU Athletics posted its 2026 home game themes on July 13.
First regular-season SEC home night game since 2024 Alabama win
The primetime slot is the first regular-season conference home night game the SEC has given Oklahoma this season. The league did not schedule a single conference home night game for the Sooners in 2025, according to Sooners Wire.
The last time OU played a regular-season SEC opponent under the lights in Norman was Nov. 23, 2024, when the Sooners beat Alabama 24-3 on Senior Night. Both OU home games played so far in 2026 kicked off at night, according to Sooners Wire.
OU plays Texas in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 10, before returning to Norman for the Kentucky game the following week. The Sooners' next home game after Kentucky is against South Carolina, designated as Homecoming.
