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Rocky Top!
The University of Tennessee
Location: Knoxville, TN
Nickname: Volunteers
Type of School: Public Land Grant Research University
Mascot: “Smokey” (Blue Tick Coonhound)
Total student body: 38,728 (Fall 2024)
University Established: 1794
Football Stadium: Neyland Stadium
Capacity: 101,915
Team Colors: Tennessee Orange, Smokey, and White
Tennessee Annual Opponents 2026-2029
Alabama Crimson Tide – The Crimson Tide and Volunteers started this ruckus all the way back in 1901. This has been a competitive series through the years. Alabama does own an advantage in their 106 meetings, 59-40 with 7 ties. Alabama also has the edge in the last 10 games 8-2.
Under Josh Heupel, however, the Vols are tough and very skilled. They won this game last year, 24-17, in Knoxville.
Going into this year’s matchup both teams have only 1 loss and they are both ranked in the top 15.
Kentucky Wildcats – The states of Kentucky and Tennessee share a border that’s 425 miles long. That , coupled with the fact that they have been playing each other since 1893, make this a legit, passionate, rivalry. But if that wasn’t enough, in 1953 there was an incident involving a “keg-napping” and a retaliatory “dog-napping” that just made everything worse. I plan to write a piece about mascots and trophies where I will will shine more light on this madness.
This rivalry has one trait that I absolutely love and feel is a nod to those fans that feel the rivalry most strongly. Over the 131 years in the series, this game has never been played at a neutral site. In the even numbered years, it’s played in Knoxville and in the odd numbered years, it’s played in Lexington. Like so many of these “old” rivalries, the balance of power sometimes shifts. Kentucky held it’s own with the Vols for the first 25 years or so, but then Tennessee took over in a big way.
They matchup has been played 120 times with the Volunteers winning 84 times to the Wildcat’s 26. The teams have tied 9 times and one of Tennessee’s victories was vacated.
This season, the game will be played in Lexington, KY on October 25.
Vanderbilt Commodores – The Tennessee Volunteers and the Vanderbilt Commodores have gone to the gridiron together 116 times since their first meeting on October 21, 1892. Tennessee has a sizeable lead in the series winning 79 times to Vandy’s 33 and there have been 5 ties over the years. An interesting tidbit with this game is that in its 132 year history, it has never been played anywhere other than in Nashville or Knoxville. No off-campus, neutral site nonsense here! That just screams “civic pride” to me.
The rivalry game this season will, more than likely, feature 2 nationally ranked teams and make the volume on this one go up to 11!
