Tennessee’s first SEC test of the season arrives Saturday, and it comes with a full day of football around it.
The Vols will host Texas at Neyland Stadium at noon on September 26, with the game airing on WATE 6 News. Before kickoff, the 6 Sports Team will roll out Tennessee Tailgate from 10:30 a.m. to 11, followed by The Sports Source Saturday Kickoff. After the Tennessee-Texas matchup, WATE 6 News is scheduled to carry Ole Miss at Florida beginning around 3:30 p.m., then Texas A&M at LSU around 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s game also lines up with ESPN’s College Gameday, which will be at the University of Tennessee’s Ayres Hall.
The meeting with Texas is a rare one for Tennessee. It will be the fourth time the schools have played, and the first time they’ve met in more than 55 years. The Vols won the first matchup in 1950, taking a 20-14 decision, while Texas won the next two, 16-0 in 1952 and 36-13 in 1968.
Tennessee enters the game riding a three-game winning streak after its 42-9 win over Kennesaw State. That game came with a concern for the Vols, though, as star running back DeSean Bishop suffered an apparent injury in the first half. Head Coach Josh Heupel said Monday the team is working to make sure Bishop is ready for Saturday.
The Kennesaw State game also featured a major off-field gesture from senior linebacker Arion Carter, who donated nearly $4,000 to help people with their cancer treatments in response to his one-game suspension at the start of the year. Carter has now donated more than $7,300 this season.
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Have A New Checker Neyland Twist For Texas
Checker Neyland is back in a big way this Saturday when Tennessee hosts Texas, and this time the Vols are putting a fresh spin on the familiar orange-and-white pattern. Fans have a new way to make sure they land in the right color block for Neyland Stadium, with seat information available online so everyone can check whether they are supposed to wear orange or white before heading through the gates.
The concept has become one of Tennessees most recognizable gameday traditions, and it has taken on extra weight in the Josh Heupel era as the Vols have continued to lean into the atmosphere it creates. With Texas coming to town, the visual inside the stadium should be as much a part of the night as the football itself, and Tennessee supporters will be watching closely to see how the latest Checker Neyland setup looks once the crowd fills in. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Lost A Trusted Piece At The Worst Possible Time
Tennessees tight end room took a major hit at exactly the wrong time, with Ethan Davis set to miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering an ACL injury. It is a frustrating loss for a player the Vols have leaned on, but there is at least one bit of good news for Tennessee moving forward: Davis has already said he plans to return for a fifth season in Knoxville.
Now the attention shifts to how the Vols absorb that blow in the short term, starting with their upcoming game against Texas. Tight ends coach Alec Abeln said he believes the rest of the group is ready to handle the extra load, and Tennessee will need that confidence to show up quickly with a trusted option suddenly out of the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Freshman QB Faces His First Real SEC Measuring Stick
Through three games, Faizon Brandon has given Tennessee plenty to feel good about in the opening stretch of the 2026 season. The freshman has looked steady and explosive, throwing for 552 yards and six touchdowns while adding 137 rushing yards and three more scores, production that has already put him on the national radar and helped the Volunteers enter SEC play with a real sense of momentum.
The first conference test, though, arrives in a hurry, and it comes with an awfully bright spotlight attached. ESPNs updated Total QBR rankings place Brandon sixth in the SEC with a 79.0 rating, and Tennessees opener against No. 1 Texas will immediately show how that early success translates against a defense and opponent built for the biggest stage. Arch Manning has been sharp for the Longhorns, and for Brandon, this is the kind of measuring stick that can say a lot without answering everything. [Read more 🡒]