ESPN’s hit Saturday morning TV show College GameDay is heading back to Knoxville, TN, this weekend for the upcoming SEC clash between Tennessee and Georgia. This is GameDay’s first return to Rocky Top since it was in town for Tennessee’s historic win over Alabama during the 2022 football season.
College GameDay isn’t the only big thing happening that day, though.
Tennessee will also be checkering Neyland Stadium for the Georgia game. UT Athletics released the game designations back in May, with the Bulldogs’ game receiving the Checker Neyland nod.
Tennessee’s 2024 Checker Neyland game took place during the Vols’ September home game against Florida, which ended up being an overtime 23-17 win for the Volunteers thanks to a game-sealing touchdown run from running back Dylan Sampson.
The Volunteers are 4-4 in Checker Neyland games since its inception, but things have been on the right side more often than not under head coach Josh Heupel. His teams are 3-1 in checkered games, with the only loss coming to Ole Miss during his first year with the program in 2021. Tennessee defeated Florida in 2024, Texas A&M in 2023, and Florida again in 2022.
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To add to the festivities, Tennessee will also honor former defensive tackle John Henderson during the game for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Tennessee and Georgia will both enter Saturday’s high-profile rivalry clash with a 2-0 record. The Vols are coming off two wins against Syracuse and ETSU to kick off the season. Tennessee handled business against the Orange in Week 1 with a 45-26 victory, while setting a modern-era program record with 72 points in a 72-17 win over ETSU on Saturday night in the home opener.
Georgia, on the other hand, began its season with a 45-7 win over Marshall before defeating Austin Peay 28-6 on Saturday afternoon. Both games took place in Athens, setting up Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs for their first real road test of the season.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for complete Tennessee football coverage leading into the game on Saturday afternoon. The Volunteers will host the Bulldogs at 3:30 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium.
