106 days. That’s how long it will be until Tennessee kicks off its 133rd season of football.
The full 2026 schedule has been out for a while now, but as summer arrives, the countdown to the new season truly begins.
This week, as the Friday 5 returns to I-81 Sports, we take a look at five things you need to know about Tennessee’s 2026 slate.
#1: For the Nine
As in nine Southeastern Conference games — a first for the league, which decided last fall to flip the switch from eight to nine conference contests. That means one less non-conference cupcake, and one of the three games out of league must be “an additional high-quality” contest against a team from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame. The Vols tabbed Georgia Tech to fill that slot in 2026.
The SEC is also scrapping the divisional format. No more East vs. West in the conference championship game in Atlanta — assuming such contests even survive past this season. Instead, it’s one big table, and the top two teams in the league meet.
It’s uncharted water for every team in the conference, because adding a ninth league game makes everything tougher for everyone. How will it affect competitiveness from week to week? What about injuries? What about the fans, especially those who travel to road games? Managing the logistics, as well as the increased wear and tear, will be key factors this season for the entire conference.
#2: New Faces in New Places
Six head coaching jobs came open since the start of the 2025 season – the most in a single year cycle in SEC history. Four of those new coaches are on the Vols’ docket: Ryan Silverfield at Arkansas, Alex Golesh at Auburn, Will Stein at Kentucky, and Lane Kiffin at LSU.
There’s an obvious hook with two of these guys, and let’s start with the less obvious candidate. Golesh came to Knoxville with Josh Heupel in 2021 and served as offensive coordinator for a Vol offense that set records in 2021 and 2022 … and really hasn’t returned to that same level of potency since Golesh left in December of 2022 to become the head coach at USF, a job that led directly to him getting the gig at Auburn.
Then there’s Kiffin, arguably the biggest villain in college football — a title he reclaimed with the seedy way he left LSU for Ole Miss, then tried to blame the Rebels for not letting him coach during their playoff run, while also trying to poach Ole Miss players through the portal. Kiffin of course had his one very loud season in charge in Knoxville, which ended in a whirlwind when he took the job at USC, sending fans into the street and couches aflame. Then we had that weird time in 2017, and again in 2021, when fans and even media members lobbied for Kiffin to return to Tennessee. Kiffin did return to Knoxville in 2021, as the boss at Ole Miss, in a wild game where golf balls and even a mustard bottle got thrown onto the field — and one of our writers, Scott Felts, used it to inspire his handle on X.
#3: It’s Been a Long Time
Two teams on the 2026 schedule are facing the Vols after long absences — make that really long absences. Texas, the Vols’ first SEC foe, makes its first ever trip to Neyland Stadium. All three prior meetings between Tennessee and the Longhorns took place at the Cotton Bowl — and the most recent of those was back in 1968.
You’ve got to go back even farther to find the last time Tennessee played Furman, the first opponent on the 2026 docket. The Vols and Paladins haven’t locked horns on the gridiron since 1942.
#4: First Time for Everything
Tennessee has never faced Kennesaw State, Tennessee’s opponent in its third and final non-conference game, in football. That changed when these two teams meet Sept. 19 at Neyland Stadium. The Vols have had at least one first-time foe on their schedule every year since 2022. The first-timer last season was New Mexico State.
#5: Just One Break
In addition to playing nine SEC games for the first time, and 10 of 12 games against power conference opponents, Tennessee is back to having just one open date on its schedule. The Vols had two bye weeks in both 2024 and 2025.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, our offseason football coverage continues with the debut edition of Rocky Top Roadmap. This series of articles will preview and break down every opponent on Tennessee’s schedule. The first piece, looking at Furman, publishes Saturday and you can expect to see a fresh installment every Saturday for the next 12 weeks.
Sponsorship opportunities for this, and any of our regular features, remain available. Contact John@i81sports.com to find out more.