What we know so far about Tennessee football's 2026 schedule – On3

Kickoff times and TV information for Tennessee football’s first three games of the season were announced on Wednesday. For another two weeks, that’s all the information that will be made available.
The SEC on June 10 will announce kickoff windows — early (Noon-1 p.m. Eastern Time), afternoon (3:30-4:30 p.m. ET), night (6-8 p.m. ET or flex (3:30-4:30 or 6-8 p.m. ET) — for the new nine-game SEC schedules across the league.
Here’s what we know so far about Tennessee’s 2026 schedule:
The September 5 season opener against Furman at Neyland Stadium will be a 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time start, streaming on SEC Network+. SEC teams have one game per season that is streaming only and available through ESPN+ and SEC Network+. It will be just the third meeting between Tennessee and Furman.
The September 12 road game against Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta will be a primetime kickoff at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Vols are 25-17-2 against Georgia Tech in what was almost an annual rivalry between 1947 and 1987. The two teams have played only once since then, with Tennessee winning 42-41 in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in September 2017.
The September 19 game against Kennesaw State will be a 7:45 p.m. ET start on SEC Network. It’s the first meeting between Tennessee and Kennesaw State, which is coach by former Vols running backs coach Jerry Mack. He went 10-4 and won Conference USA last season, his first with the Owls. The Kennesaw State game will also be Tennessee’s annual Salute to Service weekend. 
The SEC opener against Texas on September 26 will be the annual Checker Neyland game at Neyland Stadium. The Vols have never played the Longhorns in the regular season. The three previous meetings were all in the Cotton Bowl, with Tennessee winning 20-14 on New Year’s Day 1951 and Texas winning 16-0 on New Year’s Day 1953 and 36-13 on New Year’s Day 1969.
The October 3 game against Auburn will be Champions Weekend and will also mark the return of former Tennessee offensive coordinator and now first-year Auburn coach Alex Golesh. He spent the last three seasons at South Florida, going 23-15 before being hired to replace Hugh Freeze.  Tennessee and Auburn have met just twice over the last decade, with Auburn winning at home in November 2020 and the Vols winning at Auburn in October 2018.
Tennessee goes to Arkansas on October 10, going back to Fayetteville after losing there in October 2024. The Vols are 14-7 all time against Arkansas but has lost five of the last seven against the Hogs. The Vols won 34-31 at home last season, after the 19-14 loss a year earlier at Arkansas. 
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The Third Saturday in October Rivalry will be renewed on October 17 in Knoxville. The Tennessee-Alabama series has been played 107 times since 1901. The two teams are 2-2 against each other over the last four years after Alabama had won 15 straight.
Tennessee goes to South Carolina on October 24, with the Gamecocks back on the schedule for the first time since 2023.The Vols lead the all-time series 27-11-2 dating back to 1903.
The November 7 game against Kentucky will be Homecoming Weekend for Tennessee. The Kentucky series is Tennessee’s most played, with 120 games dating back to 1893. The Vols lead the series 85-26-9 and are 5-0 against the Wildcats during the Josh Heupel era.
Tennessee goes back to Texas A&M on November 14 to face the Aggies at Kyle Field. Tennessee is 3-2 against A&M, but the Vols have lost two of three against the Aggies since they joined the SEC. Tennessee won the last meeting 20-13 in October 2023 at Neyland Stadium, after losing 45-38 in overtime at A&M in October 2016. The Vols beat A&M in the Gator Bowl in December 1957 and Cotton Bowl on January 1, 2005.
November 21 marks another Neyland Stadium return for Lane Kiffin. The former Tennessee head coach returned previously as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and the Ole Miss head coach. Tennessee is 21-10-3 all time against LSU, dating back to 1925, but the Tigers have won seven of the last 10 going back to 2000. The Vols won the last meeting 40-13 in October 2022 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
Tennessee’s regular-season finale at Vanderbilt on November 28 will be the 120th meeting between the two teams dating back to 1892, the Vols’ oldest series. Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Alabama are Tennessee’s annual SEC rivals for at least the next four seasons. 
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