Josh Heupel didn’t need long to have some fun with the Lane Kiffin reunion headed for Knoxville.
At SEC Media Days, the Tennessee coach was asked about Kiffin’s return to Neyland Stadium, and his answer landed with the kind of dry humor that fits the moment. Heupel was asked, “Does the thought of Lane Kiffin coming back to Knoxville, does that put a smile on your face?”
His reply: “He’s got to get there first.”
That line will only add to the buzz around Tennessee’s November 21 matchup with LSU, a game that already stands out on a loaded Volunteers schedule. Texas, Auburn and Alabama are all coming to Neyland Stadium this fall, but the LSU date has a different kind of edge because of Kiffin’s presence.
Kiffin is no stranger to Knoxville. He coached Tennessee for one season in 2009 before leaving for USC, and he made his last trip to Neyland Stadium as an opposing coach in 2021, when Ole Miss beat the Vols in a game that turned into a much bigger story afterward. The focus shifted from the result to the objects Tennessee fans threw at him on the sideline, with the mustard bottle and golf ball jokes sticking around ever since.
Now Kiffin is back in the SEC with LSU after leaving Ole Miss this offseason, and he’ll arrive in Knoxville with one of the most expensive rosters in college football and plenty of expectations attached. Tennessee hasn’t faced LSU since the Vols went to Baton Rouge and beat the Tigers in 2022, so the late-November meeting will be the next chapter in a matchup that already has some bite to it.
However it plays out, it should have no shortage of theater.
In Other News...
DeSean Bishop Just Weighed In On Tennessees Future Backfield
DeSean Bishops place in Tennessees backfield is already secure in the present, but the conversation around the future is getting interesting. The All-SEC running back said he would be open to sharing carries with a highly ranked 2027 recruit, a reminder that the Volunteers are trying to keep their roster balanced between immediate production and the long view. Bishop also made clear that his own focus is on the current season, even as NFL aspirations remain part of the bigger picture.
For Tennessee, the appeal is obvious: adding another elite back would only deepen a position group that already has a proven centerpiece. But the path to making that happen is still unresolved, with the recruit weighing his options and Bishops own long-term timeline far from settled. If both sides end up aligning, the Volunteers could be looking at a backfield that is built to last, but for now it remains one of those recruiting and roster questions that hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Power Shift Talk Should Have Mississippi State Fans On Edge
The SECs long-running frustration with the college sports setup is no longer just a background grumble. Commissioner Greg Sankey said the leagues leaders are openly discussing the possibility of breaking away from the NCAA structure, a sign of how much pressure has built around Congressional legislation, NIL transparency and the College Football Playoff format.
Sankey also made clear that a clean split is not the first choice, even with the SECs recent run of success across sports and its standing as the sports most powerful league. For schools like Tennessee, the bigger issue is what happens if the national system keeps stalling, because the more the SEC feels boxed in, the louder the power-shift conversation is likely to get. [Read more 🡒]
What Tennessee's Media Days Picks Could Signal About Vols Leadership
SEC Media Days opens Monday in Tampa, and Tennessees delegation offers a first look at which voices the program wants front and center heading into the 2026 college football season. Josh Heupel will be there, of course, but the player trio of DeSean Bishop, Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander is the part that stands out, especially with Bishop and Carter projected as important pieces for the Vols.
Telanders selection is the one worth watching a little closer. Tennessee has plenty to sort out before fall, and the choices it makes for a stage like this can say as much about the locker room hierarchy as any offseason depth chart. When Heupel and the three players speak in Tampa, the Vols may not reveal much outright, but they could offer a useful hint about where the team sees its leadership and linebacker room headed. [Read more 🡒]