The Tennessee Volunteers are well on their way to finalizing their 2026 football schedule, having recently added games against Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State to the lineup. Also joining these matchups on the non-conference slate is a game against Furman, fleshing out a schedule that promises variety for the Vols, according to WVLT-TV.
As reported by WVLT-TV, the series with Georgia Tech revives a rivalry that dates back to the mid-20th century, with the two teams having faced off 44 times previously. The Vols currently lead the series 25-17-2. Not since 2017 have these two teams met, a game that Tennessee clinched in a nail-biting double-overtime victory.
Falling into an interesting homecoming narrative is the Kennesaw State game, which will welcome back former Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack. According to a release on FBSchedules.com, Mack, now leading Kennesaw State, coached under Josh Heupel from 2021 to 2023. This game will also mark the first-ever encounter between the two football programs, creating a fresh dynamic on the field.
Meanwhile, the Volunteers' future clash with Georgia Tech materialized after Nebraska dropped out of the scheduled meetings in 2026 and 2027. "After Nebraska canceled the series, our main focus was to secure another home-and-home matchup with an opponent from a Power Four conference, which seemed improbable at the time," Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said, as he navigated through the complexities of college football scheduling to make this series possible, according to UTSports.com. Georgia Tech will visit the Vols in Knoxville in 2027, after Tennessee heads to Atlanta in 2026 as part of the newly arranged agreement.
Completing the lineup for Tennessee's non-conference games are the Western Michigan Broncos, with the 2027 season expecting them in Knoxville. In rounding out the schedule, the Vols aim to offer their fans a diverse array of teams to watch come the 2026 season, already shaping up to bring both new and familiar competition to Neyland Stadium.
