LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky rifle team has released its 2026-27 competition schedule, featuring 14 regular-season matches split between fall and winter, with six home matches at the UK Rifle Range in Barker Hall.

The schedule includes free admission to all home matches, with competition typically beginning at 9 a.m. ET with complimentary breakfast during smallbore competition. Air rifle matches begin a few hours later with fans allowed into the range.

"We are excited to release our schedule for this upcoming season and even more excited to get the athletes back on campus in the next few weeks and get underway with training," head coach Harry Mullins said. "This is an exciting time of year as we welcome new faces and get to do all the fun things like photo and video day and team bonding."

The Wildcats' season opens on the road Oct. 3 against Georgia Southern in Statesboro before returning home Oct. 10 to host Murray State. The fall schedule includes trips to the WVU Fall Classic on Nov. 14-15 and an annual jaunt to Fairbanks, Alaska on Nov. 21-22 to face Alaska Fairbanks and Air Force.

Winter competition resumes in mid-January with matches at Memphis and Ole Miss before the home stretch. Kentucky will conclude its regular season on Feb. 20 with an NCAA Qualifier at home. The Great America Rifle Conference Championships follow on Feb. 27-28 in Morgantown, with the NCAA Championships set for March 12-13 in Statesboro.

The Wildcats are rebuilding after finishing fourth overall at the 2026 NCAA Championships, though they did place third in air rifle as a team. Rising senior Braden Peiser returns after winning the individual smallbore national championship and earning first-team All-America honors in aggregate, smallbore and air rifle. Peiser set an NCAA smallbore record and tied the NCAA aggregate scoring record last season.

The Wildcats will also return sophomores Sam Adkins and Liz Probst, who competed at NCAA Championships, along with Emily Marne, Hannah Todd, Elisa Boozer and Jacob St. Hilaire. Four new recruits join the program: Noah Abzug of Maryland, Maggie Palfrey of Pennsylvania, Briley Sralla of Texas and Iva Rakonjac of Serbia.

Kentucky is one of the most decorated programs in NCAA rifle history, with four national titles won in 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022, along with seven runner-up finishes and 25 top-five NCAA Championship finishes.