A deep dive into the Kentucky Wildcats' SEC opponents in 2024: How will the Wildcats football program hang with additions of Texas and Oklahoma

The Kentucky Wildcats have been a middle-of-the-pack team in the Southeastern Conference under head coach Mark Stoops. The toughest conference in college football is set to get even tougher in 2024.

The SEC is set to expand to 16 teams, following the addition of the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns.

While the SEC faced backlash for declining to expand their conference schedule, each program will face a very difficult eight-game schedule in 2024. Take a look at who the Wildcats will face below.

How have the Kentucky Wildcats performed since joining the SEC?

The Kentucky Wildcats have been among the worst teams in the SEC since joining the conference in its inaugural season in 1933. The Wildcats have compiled a record of 448-512-21. In SEC play, they are 187-402-12.

Kentucky has won just one national championship, all the way back in 1950. They are one of four schools that have never appeared in an SEC Championship Game since its inception during the 1992 season.

Who will the Kentucky Wildcats face in the expanded SEC in 2024?

The Kentucky Wildcats will host the Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores in the new and revamped SEC in 2024. Furthermore, Kentucky will visit the Florida Gators, Ole Miss Rebels, Tennessee Volunteers and Texas Longhorns.

Check out the full 2024 SEC schedule below:

Outside of conference play, the Wildcats will face the Ohio Bobcats, Murray State Races and Louisville Cardinals at Kroger Field. They will visit the Akron Zips in their only non-conference road game.

Will the Kentucky Wildcats be able to compete in the expanded SEC?

Kentucky entered the 2022 season coming off of a 10-win season. They took a step back after losing several key players to the 2022 NFL draft, finishing just 7-6. The Wildcats suffered more losses to the 2023 NFL draft, including quarterback Will Levis.

Coach Mark Stoops has done well in recruiting, bringing in the 20th-ranked class in 2022 and the 30th-ranked class in 2023. His recruiting efforts, however, are unable to match the conference's powerhouses, who consistently land top-five classes.

While the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams in 2024, it is difficult to envision a path in which the Wildcats reach the postseason. The addition of two new teams, both of whom expect to compete for a postseason spot, will only make that path tougher.