Tennessee’s 2026 opener comes with a familiar setup: a home game, an FCS opponent and a broadcast crew now set for the first Saturday of the Josh Heupel era’s sixth season.
The Vols will host Furman on Saturday, September 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN+/SECN+. On the call, Richard Cross will handle play-by-play, Max Starks will provide analysis and Ashlyn Sullivan will work the sideline.
For listeners, Tennessee’s radio coverage includes WIVK-FM 107.7 and WNFML-FM 99.1 locally, SiriusXM channels 179 and 229, the SiriusXM app on channel 953, UTsports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app. Mike Keith will do play-by-play on radio, with Jayson Swain as analyst and Brent Hubbs on the sideline.
If the afternoon goes the way Tennessee expects, attention may quickly shift away from the scoreboard and toward the debut of five-star freshman Faizon Brandon. Around the same window, there are several other games that could pull national eyes, including Boise State at No. 2 Oregon, Baylor against Auburn in Atlanta, Boston College at Cincinnati and Tulane at Duke.
Oddsmakers see a lopsided opener. FanDuel lists Tennessee as a 48.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 66.5 points as of Monday morning. The book is not offering a money line for the game.
This will be Tennessee’s sixth game against an FCS opponent under Heupel, and the Vols have won all five previous matchups. Those results came by 56 points over Tennessee Tech in 2021, 41 over UT Martin in 2022, 17 over Austin Peay in 2023, 66 over Chattanooga in 2024 and 55 over ETSU in 2025.
Saturday’s meeting will also be the third football matchup between Tennessee and Furman. The Vols beat the Paladins at home in 1941 and 1942.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Got An Important Ethan Davis Update Before The Opener
Tennessee got a timely boost with the season opener looming, as Ethan Davis has returned to practice after being shaken up on the first day of preseason camp and missing multiple weeks. The starting tight end is expected to be a key piece of the Volunteers offense this season, so getting him back on the field before game week matters more than just about any other update the team could have wanted.
Josh Heupel confirmed Davis will be available against Furman, which removes at least one early concern from Tennessees preparation. Even after the missed time, Davis still figures to have an important role, and now the next question is how quickly he can shake off the layoff and settle back into the rhythm the Vols need from him. [Read more 🡒]
Heupels Offensive Control Just Got Bigger For Tennessees New QB
Josh Heupels offense has always carried his fingerprints, and that remains true heading into his sixth season in Knoxville. The Tennessee coach has already guided the Volunteers to two 10-win regular seasons and a College Football Playoff appearance, while continuing to stay heavily involved in the playcalling alongside offensive coordinator Joey Halzle.
Now that familiarity may matter even more for the Vols next quarterback. True freshman Faizon Brandon won the starting job over George MacIntyre for the 2026 season, giving Tennessee a young passer stepping into a system Heupel knows as well as anyone. With Furman up first, the early part of the schedule should offer a clearer picture of how much control the staff keeps as Brandon settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Lead Back Has Something To Prove Before Week 1
DeSean Bishop is back in the spotlight for Tennessee after delivering a 1,000-yard season with 16 touchdowns last year, yet the preseason recognition did not quite match the production. He returns as the Volunteers lead running back heading into a backfield that also includes three sophomore backups, giving Tennessee a young rotation to sort through before the games start counting.
The omission from the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list adds a little edge to Bishops fall, even if it does not change what he has already done for the program. With Tennessee set to open the season against Furman on Sept. 5, Bishop has a chance to remind voters and the rest of the SEC that last year was not a one-off. [Read more 🡒]