KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky Opens the 2025 Season Against Toledo

The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here. It’s Football Time in the Bluegrass. Kentucky kicks off the 2025 season at Kroger Field this afternoon against Toledo. The action will air on the SEC Network at 12:45 PM ET.

It has been 273 long days since we last saw the Wildcats on the turf at Kroger Field. Kentucky got shellacked by Louisville to end a disappointing 4-8 season. That bitter taste has lingered for far too long. Today’s finally the day the Wildcats can finally hit the reset button and flip the script with a fresh start.

Mark Stoops begins his 13th season with a brand new roster, complete with a plethora of new transfer portal players in the trenches and skill positions. They’ll be led on offense by seventh-year senior Zach Calzada at quarterback, alongside a 1-2 punch at running back, Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan.

“I’m excited for those guys, both really tough runners, and they’re fast. I’m just as excited as you to watch them play,” the Kentucky quarterback said earlier this week.

All of the new pieces are exciting, but the team cannot get caught up in all of that excitement. Toledo was picked to win the MAC after knocking off a couple of Power Conference teams last fall, and they’re bringing a familiar face back to Lexington, running back Chip Trayanum. Like everything this season, nothing will come easily. Kentucky must come prepared to play right away to change the narrative and start 2025 on the right foot.

Kentucky vs. Toledo: How To Watch, Listen

• Kickoff: 12:45 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network (Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang)
• Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro, Dick Gabriel)
• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Online: iHeart Radio
• Sirius XM: 106 or 190
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also keep up with the game and chat with other fans on our game thread on KSBoard, with Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, and Drew Franklin providing updates from Kroger Field.

Saturday Gameday Schedule

8:30 am — The KSR Pregame Show
9:00 — Doors Open at KSBar and Grille
9:30 — LexTran Shuttles Begin Moving
10:30 — Cat Walk
12:45 pm — Kickoff on SEC Network

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Kentucky vs. Toledo Gambling Angles and Trends

Kentucky is currently a 10-point favorite with a total of 47.5 at BetMGM. The Wildcats have won 10 consecutive games against Group of Six competition since 2019 with a 9-1 ATS mark. Toledo head coach Jason Candle did not beat a power conference foe until year nine last fall. The Rockets are 4-4 ATS against power conference foes under Candle.

Learn more about the Toledo Rockets in the KSR+ Scouting Report.

Team Captains and a Classic Uniform Combo

Kentucky has four new Team Captains: senior CB JQ Hardaway, senior TE Josh Kattus, junior DB Ty Bryant, and senior OL Jager Burton. That’s a pair of offensive and defensive players, and a pair from Lexington Frederick Douglass, Bryant and Burton. They’ll be taking the field in a familiar look. The blue helmets and jerseys with white pants are frequently used in this spot at home. BBN has seen a lot of Ws in this fit. Hopefully, there’s another on the horizon.

Get Hyped

Embracing the challenge. Week one, let's go. pic.twitter.com/zqURMGMDKm

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 28, 2025

Kick off the 2025 Kentucky football season with KSR Plus! We’re giving you behind-the-scenes intel you won’t find anywhere else. Join the most vibrant online community in BBN ahead of a pivotal season for Mark Stoops.

Lee Corso’s Final GameDay Kicks Off a Loaded Slate

We have a fantastic opening Saturday of college football, but it all starts with a “NOT SO FAST, my friend” from Lee Corso. The college football legend will be making his final headgear selection, where the legend started in Columbus. The ESPN pregame show kicks off at 9 AM ET.

Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (Atlanta)	Noon ET	ABC
Mississippi State at Southern Miss	Noon ET	ESPN
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State	Noon ET	FOX
Duquesne at Pittsburgh	Noon ET	ACC Network
Northwestern at Tulane	Noon ET	ESPNU
Florida Atlantic at Maryland	Noon ET	Big Ten Network
Toledo at Kentucky	12:45pm ET	SEC Network
Old Dominion at No. 20 Indiana	2:30pm ET	FS1
Eastern Kentucky at Louisville	3pm ET	ACC Network
Marshall at No. 5 Georgia	3:30pm ET	ESPN
Nevada at No. 2 Penn State	3:30pm ET	CBS
South Dakota at No. 22 Iowa State	3:30pm ET	FOX
No. 8 Alabama at Florida State	3:30pm ET	ABC
Montana State at No. 7 Oregon	4pm ET	Big Ten Network
Coastal Carolina at Virginia	6pm ET	ACC Network
UTSA at No. 19 Texas A&M	7pm ET	ESPN
Missouri State at USC	7:30pm ET	Big Ten Network
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson	7:30pm ET	ABC
New Mexico at No. 14 Michigan	7:30pm ET	NBC
Georgia State at No. 21 Ole Miss	7:45pm ET	SEC Network
East Texas A&M at No. 16 SMU	9pm ET	ACC Network
Georgia Southern at Fresno State	9:30pm ET	FS1
Hawaii at Arizona	10:30pm ET	TNT
California at Oregon State	10:30pm ET	ESPN
Colorado State at Washington	11pm ET	Big Ten Network
Utah at UCLA	11pm ET	FOX

Kentucky Volleyball Season Opener

Craig Skinner’s Cats open the 2025 season in Nashville. Before they face top-ranked Nebraska at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday, they’ll get a tune-up against Lipscomb. The action begins around the time the Wildcats’ game against Toledo winds down. You can watch it all unfold, starting at 3 PM ET, on ESPN+.

Journalism Gets a New Test

The only 3-year-old horse that can beat Journalism is Sovereignty. What about the 4-year-olds? Tonight, Journalism will race against the best of the best in the Pacific Classic with a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on the line. Bob Baffert’s Nysos is the 8-5 favorite, and his only loss in six career races was by a neck on Kentucky Derby day. Fierceness will be a formidable foe, particularly with a draw on the rail. Whenever the nightcap goes to halftime, turn on your horse racing app and watch this showdown at approximately 9 PM ET from Del Mar.