Tennessee football and the rest of the SEC have a new format for their 2026 schedule. Each team will play nine conference games along with three out-of-conference matchups. For the Vols, their premier non-conference game is on the road at Georgia Tech.
Just how good are the Yellow Jackets, though? This week, On3 released its power rankings for the ACC heading into fall camp. Georgia Tech was placed at No. 12 in the conference out of 17 teams.
In comparison, Tennessee clocked in at No. 8 of 16 in the SEC, which is widely considered a much stronger conference. The Vols are behind just Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama.
NEW: Preseason ACC Power Rankings📈
(via @AndyStaples) https://t.co/djAiKrEOsd pic.twitter.com/PZGTHpzXR6
— On3 (@On3) June 10, 2026
More From RTI: The Good And Bad News For Tennessee Football’s Game Time Slots
The game between Tennessee and Georgia is slotted for Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET. It will air on ESPN from Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.
This will be far from the first time the teams have met on the gridiron. The Vols are 25-17-2 all-time in the set of games, including 11-13 on the road. This will be the first time the teams have met since 2017 and the second time since 1987, though. In the meeting in 2017, UT won 42-41 in a neutral site game, though it was played in Atlanta.
This year, it’ll be a big change at quarterback for Georgia Tech, though. With Haynes King out of eligibility, the Yellow Jackets are turning to Alberto Mendoza. He transferred in after being a part of the quarterback room for Indiana in the national championship season. He’s also the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza.
A year ago, Georgia Tech finished the year 9-4 (6-2 ACC). This was capped off with a 25-21 loss to BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
