The Governor’s Cup rivalry football game between Kentucky and Louisville is safe for at least another year as the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday it is sticking with an eight-game conference schedule for the 2025 season.

The SEC had considered adding an additional conference game to the schedule when Texas and Oklahoma joined the league this summer but elected to stay at eight games for 2024 while leaving all options on the table for the future. The 2024 season will be the first since 1991 that the league has not been split into two divisions.

Wednesday’s announcement revealed each SEC school will play the same opponents on its 2024 conference schedule in 2025 with the site of the game flipping.

“We continue to monitor changes across college sports as they relate to future scheduling,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a news release. “Continuing with our current format for the 2025 season provides additional time to understand the impact of the changes happening around us as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling.”

Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart has been among the most vocal proponents of the league schedule staying at eight games, citing the benefits that has provided to Kentucky in building its program to national relevancy. If the SEC moves to nine conference games in the future, something that remains on the table in 2026 and beyond, Barnhart has acknowledged the school will reconsider its nonconference schedule strategy. That could put the annual rivalry game against Louisville at risk as Kentucky looks to balance the challenge of an additional SEC game.

In 2025, Kentucky will host Texas for the first time as an SEC foe after traveling to Austin in 2024. The stopgap schedule means the 2025 home game against Texas A&M, which was included in the schedule rotation before Texas and Oklahoma joined the league, will not happen. Kentucky has yet to host Texas A&M since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2014.

Kentucky’s eight SEC games in 2025 will be joined with nonconference home games against Toledo, Eastern Michigan and Tennessee Tech. The Wildcats are contracted to close the regular season at Louisville in 2025.

Dates for the SEC games will be announced at a later time.

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL 2025 OPPONENTS

Home games: Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Tennessee Tech, Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee, Texas

Away games: Louisville, South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt,

Auburn 2024 KENTUCKY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Home games in all capital letters. Kickoff times and broadcast networks to be announced later.

Aug. 31: SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Sept. 7:

SOUTH CAROLINA Sept. 14:

GEORGIA Sept. 21:

OHIO Sept. 28: At Ole Miss Oct. 5: Open date Oct. 12:

VANDERBILT Oct. 19: At Florida Oct. 26:

AUBURN Nov. 2: At Tennessee Nov. 9: Open date Nov. 16:

MURRAY STATE Nov. 23: At Texas Nov. 30: LOUISVILLE