LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Kentucky football has climbed to No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Wildcats, now 7-1, jumped three spots from No. 12 after beating Vanderbilt 34-17 at Kroger Field on Saturday night.
Head coach Will Stein challenged his team to play four full quarters of strong football. Despite a slow first quarter, Kentucky pulled away for the win, sending Vanderbilt back to Nashville still winless in Southeastern Conference play.
Despite chaos across college football, Kentucky avoided any sort of upset thanks to a strong second half.
— Noah Cierzan (@ncierzan) October 25, 2026
More from Saturday's 34-17 Kentucky win that put the Wildcats in sole possession of first place in the SEC.@LEX18News | @BBNTonight pic.twitter.com/iM3b2xtVP3
The ranking caps a strong stretch for Stein, who became the first coach in Kentucky football history to start 4-1 in SEC play. The Wildcats had also moved up earlier this month after defeating Oklahoma 21-13 in the teams' first meeting since the Sooners joined the SEC.
Miami remained No. 1 in the poll, which continues to feature a heavy SEC presence.
Kentucky now heads into a bye week before traveling to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 7. The game time has not been announced.
BBN Tonight
No. 12 Kentucky enters bye week with 34-17 win over Vander
The full AP Top 25 (record, points, previous ranking):
- Miami (FL) (59) — 7-0, 1,735, prev. 1
- Ohio State (10) — 6-1, 1,681, prev. 3
- Georgia — 6-1, 1,511, prev. 5
- Indiana — 7-1, 1,459, prev. 6
- Notre Dame — 6-1, 1,458, prev. 4
- Utah (1) — 7-0, 1,413, prev. 10
- UCLA — 7-0, 1,398, prev. 9
- BYU — 6-1, 1,325, prev. 2
- Kentucky — 7-1, 1,185, prev. 12
- Alabama — 6-2, 1,063, prev. 13
- Texas — 5-2, 966, prev. 19
- Ole Miss — 5-2, 871, prev. 7
- Texas Tech — 6-1, 861, prev. 8
- Wake Forest — 6-1, 822, prev. 17
- LSU — 6-2, 813, prev. 18
- Tennessee — 6-2, 662, prev. 11
- Florida — 5-2, 556, prev. 20
- Houston — 6-2, 491, prev. 14
- SMU — 6-1, 440, prev. 23
- (tie) Boise State — 6-1, 422, prev. 21
- (tie) Northwestern — 6-1, 422, prev. 24
- Arizona — 6-1, 400, prev. 25
- Missouri — 5-2, 329, prev. 22
- Oklahoma State — 5-2, 180, prev. NR
- Wisconsin — 5-2, 125, prev. 25
Others receiving votes: Iowa 76, New Mexico 41, Cincinnati 11, Oregon State 10, South Carolina 8, Minnesota 7, USC 7, UTSA 1, Virginia Tech 1.
Catch all the game day action and learn more about Kentucky Athletics on BBN Tonight. The team provides the latest coverage and stats ahead of UK games.
