2026 will mark the third season with 16 Southeastern Conference teams after Oklahoma and Texas became league members in 2024.
Each league school will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents for the next four years. Beginning in 2026, Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents.
The Vols enter their 2026 campaign with a quarterback battle to replace Joey Aguilar.
During spring practices, Tennessee had four quarterbacks on roster: early enrollee freshman Brandon Faizon, redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, redshirt freshman Mason Phillips and redshirt junior transfer Ryan Staub from Colorado.
“Don't expect a guy to be named here during the course of spring ball," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said during spring practices in naming a starting quarterback. "I think it's important that all the guys in that room learn and grow throughout the course of spring, also have a chance to go back in your summer months, digest it, reinstall and come back a much better player, and compete and earn it in front of their teammates as you get into training camp."
Each league school will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents for the next four years. Beginning in 2026, Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents.
The Vols enter their 2026 campaign with a quarterback battle to replace Joey Aguilar.
During spring practices, Tennessee had four quarterbacks on roster: early enrollee freshman Brandon Faizon, redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, redshirt freshman Mason Phillips and redshirt junior transfer Ryan Staub from Colorado.
“Don't expect a guy to be named here during the course of spring ball," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said during spring practices in naming a starting quarterback. "I think it's important that all the guys in that room learn and grow throughout the course of spring, also have a chance to go back in your summer months, digest it, reinstall and come back a much better player, and compete and earn it in front of their teammates as you get into training camp."
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