Tennessee’s Checker Neyland tradition is back for Saturday’s game against Texas, but the familiar stadium split is getting a new look this year.
The Vols are asking fans to dress according to their section’s assigned color so Neyland Stadium can deliver one of the sport’s most recognizable visuals. The twist for 2026: the colors have been switched. Sections that were white are now orange, and sections that were orange are now white.
Fans who want to make sure they’ve got the right color can check their seat information online, which will tell them what to wear.
“It’s CHECKER NEYLAND week. 🟧⬜️
Find your color → https://t.co/dzejQHiyZi
- Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 20, 2026”
Tennessee brought Checker Neyland back in 2021, the first season under Josh Heupel. That year’s debut in the Heupel era came against Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin’s return, and the Rebels left Knoxville with a win after a controversial finish.
The next season, Tennessee used the format for Florida’s visit. That one tightened late, but the Vols held on. In 2023, Texas A&M came to Neyland for another Checker Neyland setup, and Tennessee won a defensive battle.
The event returned for Florida again in 2024, and this time the game went to overtime before Dylan Sampson scored the deciding touchdown.
Last season, Checker Neyland lined up with Georgia’s trip to Knoxville for Tennessee’s first SEC game. The Vols had a chance to win it at the end on a Max Gilbert field goal attempt, but the kick missed. Georgia then won in overtime.
Under Heupel, Tennessee is 3-2 in Checker Neyland games. Since the tradition began in 2015, the Vols are 4-5 overall.
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Checker Neyland will be in full effect for a noon ET kickoff on ABC, and ESPNs College GameDay will be on hand for one of the weeks marquee games. With more than 100,000 fans packed into the stadium, Tennessee gets the stage and the atmosphere it wants, while Texas arrives with the ranking and the target that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
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Peyton Manning Puts Texas-Tennessee GameDay In An Awkward Spot
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The awkward part is obvious: Peyton has said he would pull for his nephew over his alma mater, and ESPN still has not named the guest picker for the show. Local writers have already started wondering whether Manning would want that role at all, leaving GameDay with a familiar Tennessee legend and a very unusual family subplot hanging over a marquee SEC-SEC meeting. [Read more 🡒]