# UK Football Tailgates Open for Setup on August 8 **Published:** 2026-07-17T16:00:40.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/07/17/kentucky-football-setups-can-begin-saturday-aug-8-at-8-a-m-et/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-football-tailgates-open-for-setup-on-august-8 LEXINGTON, Ky. — With the Kentucky football season less than a month away, [University of Kentucky Athletics announced that eager fans can begin setting up their tailgates starting Saturday, August 8 at 8 a.m. ET](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/07/17/kentucky-football-setups-can-begin-saturday-aug-8-at-8-a-m-et/) at Kroger Field. Any setups placed before that date will be removed from the grounds, according to the announcement. UK Athletics staff will be on hand Saturday morning to answer questions and provide guidance to tailgaters. All items set up at the stadium — including tents and trailers — must be tagged with contact information to allow UK Athletics staff to reach owners for maintenance and mowing operations. Required information includes first and last name, phone number and email address. UK Athletics will have tags available at Kroger Field Gate 1 for those who do not wish to provide their own. Untagged tents and trailers will be subject to removal from the grounds. Additionally, tailgaters must ensure that setups do not limit the use of parking spaces for game day or normal workdays, as violations may result in removal and towing at the owner's expense. UK Athletics has emphasized safety measures regarding tent stakes and underground utilities. Permanent structures are prohibited around Kroger Field, and any tent or structure requiring stakes deeper than four inches must be pre-approved by calling 859-218-3716. The grounds contain numerous underground electrical lines and water pipes, making it essential to follow staking rules. The Cooper Drive Tailgate setup will remain separate from the August 8 setup day, occurring on Fridays before game days at noon ET. [UK Athletics has also partnered with REVELxp to offer full-service tailgate packages for fans](https://revelxp.com/kentucky?utm_source=Kentucky&utm_medium=Organic_Social&utm_campaign=Kentucky_Social) who prefer a turnkey option. [The Wildcats' 2026 season kicks off September 5](https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/schedule/) under new head coach Will Stein. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/07/17/kentucky-football-setups-can-begin-saturday-aug-8-at-8-a-m-et/) - [Kentucky football 2026 schedule](https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/schedule/) - [REVELxp full-service tailgate packages](https://revelxp.com/kentucky?utm_source=Kentucky&utm_medium=Organic_Social&utm_campaign=Kentucky_Social) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics, enriched with 1 web search. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/07/17/kentucky-football-setups-can-begin-saturday-aug-8-at-8-a-m-et/.