LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky women's soccer has finalized its 2026 schedule, headlined by the return of the rivalry matchup against Louisville for the first time since 2018.

The Wildcats' 2026 campaign will begin with an exhibition match against Lexington Sporting Club on August 8, followed by seven non-conference fixtures and a full slate of SEC contests. For the second consecutive year, admission to all Kentucky soccer home matches at the Bell Soccer Complex will be free to the public.

The Battle of the Bluegrass will return to Kentucky's regular season calendar on September 3 when Louisville visits Lexington for the first time in eight years. The rivalry match will be a NCAA Tournament rematch from last season. Head coach Troy Fabiano's squad is coming off back-to-back seasons of double-digit victories and NCAA Tournament appearances.

Kentucky's early schedule features challenging non-conference matchups, including road games at Dayton and Ohio State, both of which made the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Cats will also host Detroit Mercy, Kent State, Wright State, and Bowling Green before beginning SEC play on September 11 against Texas A&M.

The Wildcats will host 11 matches at the Bell Soccer Complex throughout the season. Notable SEC opponents include defending conference tournament champion Vanderbilt and defending regular season champion Arkansas, whom the Cats will host in the regular season finale on November 1.

The schedule also features Kentucky's first regular season matchup with Texas as SEC conference opponents on October 9, having previously met the Longhorns twice in non-conference action.