Tennessee’s future just became clearer. The Vols now know their three annual opponents — Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Alabama — along with the full schedule for the 2026–2029 seasons.
Of note is the 2026 home schedule, which includes Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, LSU, and Texas.
The history with Alabama is no secret. Dubbed “The Third Saturday in October,” the Tide leads the series by 20 games, thanks in part to the dominance of Nick Saban. Recently, however, Tennessee has found success, winning the last two meetings in Neyland Stadium.
Kentucky is a series the Vols have long controlled, winning 85 of the 120 meetings and eight of the last ten. The Wildcats haven’t won in Neyland Stadium during a non-pandemic year since 1984.
Auburn isn’t a frequent opponent, with just three meetings since 2010. Tennessee trails the series by seven games and has dropped two of the last three.
LSU has given Tennessee trouble in recent years, with the Vols losing five straight before a dominant 2022 win behind Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt. Despite the skid, Tennessee still leads the all-time series by 11 games.
Texas is an even rarer matchup, with only three meetings in history and the last in January 1968. The Vols trail the series 1–2.
On paper, the 2026 home slate looks like one of the toughest in recent memory. A closer look, though, shows opportunity. Alabama may be breaking in a new head coach or nearing a breaking point with the current one. No disrespect to Ty Simpson, but he doesn’t — and shouldn’t — strike fear into many. Kentucky is still Kentucky. Auburn hasn’t lit the world on fire under Hugh Freeze. Arch Manning has struggled at Texas despite the talent around him. LSU is the only team on that list that gives real pause right now. Normally, with a schedule like this, going .500 would feel like an achievement. With the current state of these programs, though, .500 would be the floor — not the goal.
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