Will Stein’s First Spring Camp Set to Culminate with Kentucky Spring Game on April 18
The countdown is on in Lexington. With spring just around the corner, cleats will soon be back on the turf at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility as Will Stein leads his first spring practice as Kentucky’s head coach. And now, Big Blue Nation can officially circle April 18 on the calendar - the Wildcats are bringing back the spring game at Kroger Field.
Yes, despite ongoing stadium renovations, Kentucky will give fans a first look at the 2026 squad under Stein’s leadership with a full-on spring showcase. For a program entering a new era, this spring game is more than just a scrimmage - it’s the first tangible glimpse of what Stein is building.
At his December introductory press conference, Stein made it clear that his approach is rooted in physicality and repetition. “You know the best way to get better at football?
Play football,” he said. “This isn’t like basketball.
You can’t just go play five-on-five hoops out in the backyard. You got to put the pads on, you got to hit, you got to tackle.”
That mindset is already shaping the offseason. Stein emphasized that the winter strength and conditioning program is just the beginning.
The goal? Build a team that’s not just fast and strong, but resilient - the kind of group that can withstand the grind of the SEC.
“It’ll be a tough camp. Fall will be a tough camp,” Stein said.
“But what is that going to make us? Gonna make us tough on Saturdays.
It’s gonna make us tough to beat.”
That toughness will be tested early and often. Kentucky’s 2025 schedule is no walk in the park - it’s a gauntlet.
The Wildcats open with Youngstown State before hosting Alabama in Week 2. From there, it’s a steady march through the SEC, with road trips to Texas A&M, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri.
LSU, Florida, and Louisville also make appearances on the home slate at Kroger Field.
2025 Kentucky Football Schedule:
- Sept. 5 - Youngstown State (Kroger Field)
- Sept. 12 - Alabama (Kroger Field)
- Sept. 19 - at Texas A&M (Kyle Field)
- **Sept.
26** - South Alabama (Kroger Field)
- Oct. 3 - at South Carolina (Williams-Brice Stadium)
- Oct. 10 - LSU (Kroger Field)
- Oct. 17 - at Oklahoma (Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium)
- **Oct.
24** - Vanderbilt (Kroger Field)
- Nov. 7 - at Tennessee (Neyland Stadium)
- Nov. 14 - Florida (Kroger Field)
- Nov. 21 - at Missouri (Faurot Field)
- **Nov.
28** - Louisville (Kroger Field)
It’s a schedule that doesn’t offer many breathers, but Stein isn’t shying away from the challenge. If anything, he’s leaning into it - and using spring ball as the foundation.
So when the Wildcats take the field on April 18, it won’t just be a light jog-through or glorified walkthrough. Expect a team that’s been grinding, hitting, and learning - a team trying to forge its identity under a new head coach who believes toughness is earned, not inherited.
For fans, it’ll be the first real chance to see what the Will Stein era looks like in pads. For the players, it’s the next step in becoming a team that’s, as Stein put it, “tough to beat.”