KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 14/13 Tennessee opens Southeastern Conference play with a battle against No. 1/1 Texas at high noon this Saturday inside of a sold-out Neyland Stadium on ABC.
Saturday’s showdown between the Volunteers and Longhorns will be the first regular-season meeting between the two illustrious programs. All three prior games in the series took place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, with the most recent meeting having occurred in 1969.
CHECKER NEYLAND PRESENTED BY PILOT
Saturday will feature a sold-out Checker Neyland crowd on Rocky Top. Checker Neyland showcases UT’s iconic checkerboard pattern throughout Neyland Stadium, preserved by Pilot, which will be sold out for the 30th straight game dating back to 2022.
Tennessee has won three of its last four Checker Neyland games, posting victories over Florida (38-33 in 2022 & 23-17 in 2024) and Texas A&M (20-13 in 2023).
Please note that section colors have swapped this season. Fans can find their color by typing in their seat location at CheckerNeyland.com.
GAMEDAY TIMELINE
ESPN College GameDay Pit Opens – 6:30 a.m.
Stadium Extended Perimeter Opens – 8 a.m.
Will Call Opens at Gate 21 – 8 a.m.
Vol Village Opens – 8:30 a.m.
ESPN College GameDay Live – 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Ayres Hall)
*Final hour (11 a.m. – Noon) inside Neyland Stadium
Truly’s Tailgate – 9 a.m.
Gates Open – 9 a.m.
Vol Walk – 9:45 a.m.
Pride of the Southland Band March – 10:20 a.m. (Map of Band March Route)
Pride of the Southland Band Pregame Performance Begins – 11:56 a.m.
National Anthem/Flyover – 11:59 a.m.
*Two F-35 Lightning aircraft and a KC-135 joint flyover with the 134th Air Refueling Wing based at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base and the 33rd Fighter Wing based at Eglin Air Force Base
Vols Run Through the T – 12:07 p.m.
Kickoff – 12:10 p.m.
IMPORTANT GAMEDAY INFO
President Donald J. Trump is expected to attend Saturday’s game. For more information on how this will affect security measures on gameday, CLICK HERE.
Fans should plan to arrive early and expect increased security measures in and around Neyland Stadium. Fans can enjoy half-priced concessions (including alcohol) inside of Neyland Stadium from 9-10 a.m.
All stadium gates will open at 9 a.m. ET. Ticketed attendees are strongly encouraged to arrive significantly earlier than they would for a typical game. Enhanced security screening will be conducted before entry by the Secret Service Police at all stadium gates. Fans should expect increased wait times as kickoff approaches.
Re-entry is not permitted once a ticket has been scanned for admission.
Fans should also anticipate additional security checkpoints and verification procedures in areas surrounding Neyland Stadium. To help expedite entry, attendees should have mobile tickets ready before approaching stadium gates.
Guests are encouraged to travel light and review the University of Tennessee Athletics clear bag policy and prohibited items list before arriving on campus. Prohibited items will not be allowed inside Neyland Stadium, and there are no storage locations available for prohibited items. Guests should leave restricted items at home or securely stored in their vehicles. For a complete list of Secret Service prohibited items, visit https://www.secretservice.gov/prohibiteditems.
Heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic are expected across portions of campus several hours before kickoff. Temporary roadway closures, traffic control measures, and pedestrian routing adjustments may be implemented to support game day operations. Fans should allow extra travel time and consider arriving well in advance of kickoff.
Fans should also expect congestion and brief delays when moving through campus and areas near the stadium before and after the game. For the latest game day updates, parking information, traffic advisories and stadium policies, follow official University of Tennessee Police Department, Tennessee Athletics and City of Knoxville social media channels.
To find the most up-to-date information on all of Tennessee’s 2026 gameday policies, please visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com.
EXTENDED PERIMETER SECURITY CHECKPOINTS
The security perimeter will open at 8 a.m., and fans may move in and out of the secured perimeter throughout the day.
Please note, coolers are not permitted through the extended perimeter. Fans wishing to move around campus are encouraged to use the stairs at the corner of G5/30 to access areas near G10 and Circle Park. Tickets will NOT be scanned at the security perimeter. Ticket scanning will occur only at stadium entry gates, which open at 9 a.m.
TICKETS AND PARKING
Tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out. Tickets and parking passes to all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.
Fans will gain admission into Neyland Stadium via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!
Printed PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for entry at any Tennessee Athletics venue. The only authorized sources for tickets to Tennessee Athletics events are the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office, AllVols.com, the venue box office where the athletic event is taking place and Ticketmaster.
A complete step-by-step guide on how to best access and use your digital tickets and parking passes, including diagrams and FAQ is available here.
NEW GAMEDAY TRAFFIC PATTERNS
Earlier this summer, University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced new traffic patterns for football gamedays at Neyland Stadium, which can be found in full detail by clicking HERE.
Fans attending major events at Neyland Stadium will notice improved traffic patterns throughout this season.
Tennessee Athletics has partnered with Visit Knoxville, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, TDOT, KPD, UTPD, campus leadership and engineering consultant Kimley-Horn to develop comprehensive gameday traffic solutions for fans attending events on Rocky Top.
Fans with designated parking passes are advised to enter campus via the recommended routes provided by Kimley-Horn Engineering and Design consultants: https://utsports.com/sports/2026/7/29/2026-football-parking
Fans without parking passes are recommended to avoid the campus corridor, stay in the downtown area or use the KAT shuttle options. Some drivers will be asked to go in the opposite direction of traditional daily traffic patterns – this is essential to help expedite traffic flow after major events.
For additional recommendations on how fans should leave campus, visit https://utsports.com/sports/2019/7/29/football-gameday#parking
NEW SOUND SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS NEYLAND STADIUM FAN ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2026
A new, state-of-the-art sound system highlights the gameday enhancements that fans will experience this fall as they enjoy Tennessee football in Neyland Stadium, preserved by Pilot. Also new this season is an extended Southeast Concourse 3, Champions Corner located outside of Gate 9, yellow line down and distance technology on the video boards as well as multiple concessions enhancements and new locations.
For more information on all updates in place at Neyland Stadium this season, click HERE.
TENNESSEE ATHLETICS APP
Fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics App, which contains all the latest information on UT athletics. It also houses the GBO Zone, allowing fans to play trivia, take part in stadium light shows and much more.
Search “Tennessee Athletics” in the Apple or Google Play Store or use this LINK to download.
GAMEDAY EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
ESPN College GameDay: ESPN College GameDay is returning to Knoxville for the 13th time when Tennessee hosts top-ranked Texas for its SEC opener on Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium.
The show will once again originate from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9 a.m. ET until 11 a.m. The final hour of the show from 11 a.m. to noon will be held inside Neyland Stadium leading up to the noon kickoff on ABC. Fans are encouraged to arrive early. Camping overnight is not permitted.
Rece Davis is at the helm of ESPN College GameDay for his 12th season. He’s joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. College football insider Pete Thamel, ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims round out the cast. Actor, televisoon star and Knoxville native Johnny Knoxville will serve as the celebrity guest picker while legendary Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is set to join the show during Pat McAfee’s “Kicking is Easy” contest.
For more information regarding ESPN College GameDay and Saturday’s schedule, click HERE.
Vol Village Presented by Toyota: Vol Village presented by Toyota, serves as the ideal spot to view the Vol Walk and the Pride of Southland Band march. Admission is free to all fans with or without a game ticket. Located across from Circle Park, Vol Village features live music, food trucks and beverage stations, interactive displays and fun activities for all ages.
Vol Village will highlight a new artist or band each home game with a pregame concert series, providing Vol fans with the ultimate pregame atmosphere. This week’s featured group is HWY TENN. Vol Village opens at 8:30 a.m. for Saturday’s game.
Truly’s Tailgate: Located outside the newly renovated Gate 9, fans are encouraged to visit the new and improved Truly’s area for food, drinks and more! Truly’s Tailgate has expanded with Texas Roadhouse and a number of other new food and beverage options for fans to enjoy before and during the game.
For any game starting later than noon ET, Truly’s will open four hours prior to kickoff. For Saturday’s game, the tailgate will open three hour before the game at 9 a.m. Truly’s will stay open throughout the game, giving fans in the south concourse a variety of food, drinks and additional restroom options. Truly’s will close at the end of the third quarter.
For complete gameday information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.
BROADCAST INFO
TV/Streaming Info
ABC and ESPN’s lead broadcast team of Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) will have the call for Saturday’s game at noon ET on ABC.
Vol Network Radio Info
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast via the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) on 64 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 84) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 984). A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App.
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith will be joined in the booth by VFL Jayson Swain (analyst) while Brent Hubbs will handle sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast.
The Big Orange Countdown pregame show, hosted by Swain and Hubbs, will begin two and a half hours prior to kickoff at 9:30 a.m.
Tennessee’s official Spanish radio broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and J.P. Vasquez (analyst) on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Volunteer Gameday, a live, one-hour television preview show, will originate live from the newly developed Champions Corner outside of Gate 9 at Neyland Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. The show will be hosted by Keith, VFL Heath Shuler and WVLT-Knoxville’s Brittany Tarwater. Volunteer Gameday will be available on Knoxville flagship TV station WVLT and across the state on the new Tennessee Valley Sports Network (TVSN).
NEED TO KNOW
Faizon Through Three Games
True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has been solid through three games as the starter for the Vols, having accounted for nine total touchdowns (six passing, three rushing), which is tied for third in the SEC and 17th in the FBS. That mark is tops among FBS freshmen.
Brandon has not thrown an interception on 64 attempts this season, joining Missouri’s Austin Simmons (67 att.) and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton (45 att.) as the only quarterbacks in the SEC that have not thrown a pick. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native, has been named SEC Freshman of the Week two out of the first three weeks of the season.
Brandon has thrown at least one touchdown in each game, and he has produced two games with at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown. According to ESPN, Brandon is just the third SEC true freshman quarterback in the last 30 years with 500-plus passing yards and five or more passing touchdowns over his first three games.
Run Game Strong
Tennessee has been nearly unstoppable on the ground in its first three games of the season, averaging 298.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the FBS and No. 1 among Power 4 programs. UT has rushed for 268 or more yards and three-plus rushing touchdowns in every game this season.
The Vols have also already had two players rush for 100-plus yards in a game this year. Senior running back DeSean Bishop ran for a career-high 147 yards at Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 while sophomore running back Daune Morris posted his first-career 100-yard game with 116 yards on the ground in last Saturday’s win over Kennesaw State.
Defensive Doing its Part
UT’s new-look defense under coordinator Jim Knowles has shined through three games and enters this weekend ranked among the nation’s leaders in creating negative plays. The Vols rank third nationally with 13 sacks and tied for 10th in the FBS with 24 tackles for loss.
Tennessee’s defense has not issued a touchdown in the first half this season (six quarters), and the starting unit has surrendered only one touchdown overall, which came in the third quarter at Georgia Tech in week two. In two home games, opponents have managed only one touchdown in eight quarters against the Vols in Neyland Stadium. That came in the fourth quarter against Furman in the season opener.
Facing No. 1
Tennessee will look to secure just its third victory over an AP No. 1 ranked team in program history when Texas comes to town on Saturday. UT’s last victory over an AP No.1 ranked foe came on Sept. 28, 1985, when it defeated a Bo Jackson led Auburn squad, 38-20, at Neyland Stadium. The Vols’ only other win over an AP top-ranked opponent came on Nov. 7, 1959 vs. LSU, a 14-13 triumph in Knoxville.
The Big Orange do have a win over a No. 1 ranked team in the coaches poll under head coach Josh Heupel, defeating Alabama, 52-49, on Oct. 15, 2022. Heupel is seeking to become the first coach in UT history to defeat multiple No. 1-ranked teams. Bowden Wyatt (1959 vs. LSU) and Johnny Majors (1985 vs. Auburn) are the only other two Tennessee head coaches to beat No. 1-ranked teams.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas leads, 2-1
Saturday will be the first meeting between the Vols and Longhorns since the 1969 Cotton Bowl in Dallas. In fact, all three prior games in the series have come at the Cottom Bowl.
Under the leadership of Gen. Robert Neyland, Tennessee was victorious in the inaugural contest between the two historic programs, winning 20-14 on Jan. 1, 1951, to cap the 1950 season with an 11-1 record.
This will also mark the first clash between UT and Texas as conference foes following the Longhorns joining the SEC prior to the 2024 season.
ABOUT TEXAS
Texas is led by Steve Sarkisian, who owns a 51-20 record since becoming the program’s head coach in 2021 while guiding the Longhorns to two College Football Playoff appearances in that span (2023 & 2024).
The Texas offense is led by senior quarterback Arch Manning, who enters the matchup tied for fourth in the SEC with seven touchdown passes this season to go along with 661 passing yards and 83 rushing yards. The talented duo of Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo lead the Longhorns’ receiving corps, having combined for 24 receptions for 343 yards and six touchdowns.
Texas also boasts an impressive 1-2 punch at running back in NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers and Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown. Smothers leads the team with 203 yards and two touchdowns while Brown has rushed for 129 yards and a pair of scores, as well.
Preseason All-American edge rusher Colin Simmons spearheads the Longhorns’ defense with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks after leading the SEC with 12 sacks a year ago. Senior safety Jelani McDonald leads the team with 18 total tackles while senor linebacker Rasheem Biles has 17 tackles, a forced fumble and a team-high two interceptions.
