Auburn learned Monday it will open its 2020 season at home against Kentucky. So will the Tigers be seeing Joey Gatewood back at Jordan-Hare Stadium?

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said the program expects a ruling from the NCAA on the former Auburn quarterback's waiver sooner rather than later, according to Jon Hale of the Louisville Courier Journal.

"We expect an answer here relatively soon," Stoops before UK opened fall camp Tuesday. "I don’t think it’s appropriate to speculate on what I expect at this point in time.”

Hale said Kentucky completed the waiver application process for Gatewood earlier this summer. Gaining eligibility is notoriously a more involved process for players who transfer to a school within their previous conference.

Rivals.com's Kentucky outlet, Cats Illustrated, reported in late July that Auburn has been "supportive and cooperative" during Gatewood's appeal process for immediate eligibility this fall.

J.T. Daniels (USC to Georgia) and Taulia Tagovailoa (Alabama to Maryland) transferred within the past few months and gained immediate eligibility while Gatewood has still yet to receive his.

Ranked as the nation's No. 3 dual-threat QB as a freshman, the 6-foot-5 Gatewood competed with incumbent Auburn quarterback Bo Nix for the Tigers' starting QB job heading into the 2019 season.

Nix was given the starting nod by Gus Malzahn prior to Auburn's season opener, but Gatewood still contributed nicely within the offense, tallying five touchdowns and 202 total yards in seven games.

The week following Auburn's road loss to LSU, Gatewood informed Malzahn of his intentions to leave the program and seek a transfer.

"He's just at a point now where he feels like he wants to be a starting quarterback and feels like he needs to start looking for schools now so he can find the right spot, and I respect that," Malzahn said of Gatewood following his depature.

Gatewood committed to Kentucky on Dec. 5. If eligible, he'll likely be the Wildcats' backup behind Terry Wilson.

Originally set to face Auburn on Oct. 3 before the SEC's schedule was reworked to a 10-game, conference-only slate, Kentucky will meet the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time since 2009 on Sept. 26. Kickoff times for any Week 1 games have yet to be released by the conference.

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