Kentucky adds App State to non-conference schedule, exhibition vs. Travis Ford and Little Rock

Slowly but surely, Kentucky‘s complete 2026-27 schedule is coming together — and another school has been added to the non-conference slate. The Wildcats will play Appalachian State this season, KSR has learned. It will be the program’s second-ever head-to-head matchup against the Mountaineers. UK won the first back on December 20, 2008, a 93-69 victory for the blue and white. That one was played at Freedom Hall in Louisville, best known as the second-highest scoring performance of Jodie Meeks’ career, dropping 46 points on 14-21 shooting overall and 9-14 from three. It was his best at the time, only to be topped a few short weeks later by his 54-point, 10-3-pointer explosion at Tennessee on January 13. App State finished 19-13 overall and 11-7 in the Sun Belt in 2025-26, ultimately falling to Southern Miss in the conference tournament quarterfinals to end the season. The program is led by Dustin Kerns, who has coached the Mountaineers since 2019. He boasts a 133-91 record in Boone, including one NCAA Tournament First Four appearance in 2020-21, along with an NIT bid in 2023-24 to close out a career-best campaign of 27-7 (16-2). The 46-year-old previously coached at Presbyterian, leading the Blue Hose to a 31-37 record before making the move to App State. Little Rock joins exhibition slate App State is the 13th addition to the regular season non-conference schedule, but we also have a first among exhibition games to announce — and it’s a familiar face returning to Rupp Arena, right where he belongs. Travis Ford, new head coach of the Little Rock Trojans, will bring his team back to Lexington for a preseason battle, sources tell KSR. Little Rock went 12-20 last season and 9-11 in the OVC for a seventh-place finish in league play. Ford, a Madisonville native, made head coaching stops at Campbellsville, Eastern Kentucky, UMass, Oklahoma State and Saint Louis before taking the job with the Trojans this offseason. He boasts an all-time coaching record of 491-366. As a player, he suited up for Kentucky from 1991-94, earning All-SEC honors as a junior and senior while also being recognized as the Southeast Region’s Most Outstanding Player in the 1993 NCAA Tournament for the Wildcats. Now, he’s running it back at Rupp as a coach — this time on the opposing bench. Kentucky Basketball 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule DateOpponentLocationTBDLittle RockRupp Arena, Lexington, KYTBDApp StateRupp Arena, Lexington, KYNov. 3 (Tuesday)ManhattanRupp Arena, Lexington, KYNov. 6 (Friday)James MadisonRupp Arena, Lexington, KYNov. 10 (Tuesday)Kansas (Champions Classic)United Center, Chicago, ILNov. 13 (Friday)Northern ArizonaRupp Arena, Lexington, KYNov. 16 (Monday)Grambling StateRupp Arena, Lexington, KYNov. 20 (Friday)IndianaLucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, ILDec. 2 (Wednesday)at Virginia (ACC/SEC Challenge)John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VADec. 8 (Tuesday)BryantRupp Arena, Lexington, KYDec. 12 (Saturday)LouisvilleRupp Arena, Lexington, KYDec. 19 (Saturday)North Carolina (CBS Sports Classic)Madison Square Garden, New York, NYDec. 22 (Tuesday)Sacred HeartRupp Arena, Lexington, KYDec. 28 (Monday)Gardner-WebbRupp Arena, Lexington, KY