With the new nine-game conference schedule, SEC teams are set to play three out-of-conference matchups, with one against a Power Four opponent or Notre Dame. For Tennessee football, its marquee non-conference battle will be on the road against Georgia Tech.
Now, we know the game information and kickoff time for the matchup in Atlanta. The Vols and Yellow Jackets will meet on Sept. 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET at Bobby Dodd Stadium with the game airing on ESPN.
This will be the second game of the year for Tennessee. It will open at home against Furman the week prior and host Kennesaw State in Knoxville the Saturday after. For the kickoff information on those two games, click here.
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The game between Tennessee and Georgia Tech is the front end of a home-and-home that will be played between the teams. In 2027, the Yellow Jackets return the trip to Neyland Stadium on Sept. 11 to complete the series. The agreement to play the pair of games came after Nebraska pulled out of an initially agreed-upon home-and-home with UT.
“After Nebraska canceled the series, our main focus was to secure another home-and-home matchup with an opponent from a Power Four conference, which seemed improbable at the time,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said at the time of scheduling. “I sincerely appreciate Athletic Director J Batt’s creativity in modifying Georgia Tech’s schedule to make this series possible. We look forward to seeing plenty of orange in Atlanta in 2026!”
Georgia Tech is coming off a successful season in which it finished 9-4 (6-2 ACC) and lost to BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. However, the Yellow Jackets will have a new quarterback this year, Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza, to replace Haynes King.
