Tennessee is putting a new logo on its uniforms, and this one comes with serious reach.
The Vols announced Sept. 1 that First Horizon Bank will be the first jersey patch sponsor in program history, with an orange and white First Horizon logo set to appear on Tennessee football and Olympic sports uniforms. The partnership builds on a relationship that has already lasted 34 years.
No financial terms were released by UT, but a source within the industry told Knox News the deal is worth more than $120 million over 10 years.
For football, the patch will make its debut when the 18th-ranked Vols open the season against Furman on Sept. 5 at Neyland Stadium. That game is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN+/SEC Network+.
The Olympic sports side of the deal will follow later. Beginning in the 2026-27 season, Tennessee teams in volleyball, soccer, golf, tennis, cross-country, rowing, track and field and swimming will wear the First Horizon logo.
The school has now announced its second jersey patch agreement. Tennessee’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will wear Axle Logistics patches through the 2030-31 season. That Knoxville-based shipping and transportation company was founded by two Tennessee alumni, and the basketball deal carried an estimated value of about $3.4 million per year.
Together, the two jersey patch agreements bring more than $15 million into UT athletics. Baseball and softball do not yet have jersey patches.
UT athletics director Danny White said the bank’s long-running support made the move a natural extension of the partnership.
“For more than 30 years, First Horizon has been an indispensable partner to Tennessee athletics, and we are proud to extend this remarkable collaboration,” White said in a school release. “In this dynamic era of college athletics, we are confident in First Horizon’s ability to provide the resources and leadership needed to keep our programs competitive while safeguarding the integrity of our brand and uniforms.
“The First Horizon name is synonymous with excellence, vision, and a commitment to progress, values that mirror those of Tennessee athletics.”
First Horizon will also have its name attached to premium spaces in Tennessee’s venues: First Horizon West Club in Neyland Stadium and First Horizon MVP Club in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
“We are honored to deepen our partnership with Tennessee athletics, an institution that embodies pride, tradition and drive,” First Horizon CEO/President Bryan Jordan said in the school release. "For more than three decades, we have celebrated alongside the Vols and invested in the growth of Tennessee students on and off the field. Becoming the official jersey patch sponsor across so many programs is a significant milestone that reflects our shared commitment to innovation, excellence, and opportunity.”
Tennessee’s move fits a growing trend across college sports. In January, the NCAA Division I board approved updated rules allowing sponsorship patches on jerseys, equipment and apparel as schools look for new revenue while the cost of roster building keeps climbing through revenue sharing and NIL payments.
Other major programs have already jumped in. Notre Dame and Ohio State teamed with SoFi and JP Morgan Chase, respectively, in deals reported by ESPN to be worth between $17 million and $20 million annually, with those agreements covering every sport in each department.
Elsewhere, jersey patches have often gone to local or regionally connected brands. Memphis has FedEx on its jerseys, Vanderbilt has SRM Concrete on football uniforms and Wisconsin has Culvers on player shoulders. Oklahoma State and Washington State went in a different direction, partnering with nearby Native American tribes for their sponsors.
In Other News...
Former Tennessee Transfers Are Turning Up In Some Awkward Places
When Tennessee turned over so much of its roster through the portal, the next step was always going to be seeing where all those former Volunteers landed. A sizable chunk stayed in the Power Four, and a notable number remained in the SEC, which is part of what makes the offseason so oddly familiar around Knoxville. The programs departures are scattered across the country now, and for Tennessee fans, the connections do not disappear just because the jerseys changed.
Peyton Lewis added another layer to that familiar feeling by showing up in a Week Zero game for Virginia, a reminder that the portal rarely keeps old ties at a distance for long. For Tennessee, the broader picture is bigger than any single move, with former players popping up in places that can feel a little awkward when the new season starts and old opponents suddenly include faces that once wore orange. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Barnes Has A Huge Recruiting Opportunity This Weekend
Tennessee is turning a football weekend into a full-court recruiting showcase, with the mens basketball staff set to host several elite prospects on official visits while the Vols have the campus spotlight. Among the visitors are five-star point guard Cayden Daughtry and four-star point guard Micah Gordon from the 2027 class, along with five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno from the 2028 class, giving Rick Barnes and his staff a chance to put the program in front of some of the nations most intriguing young talents.
The timing matters because these trips line up with football game weekends, when Knoxville is at its liveliest and the athletic department can lean into the atmosphere. Tennessee is not the only program trying to make an impression, but the Vols will also have the Lady Vols welcoming five-star point guard Cece Dennis, adding another notable recruiting stop to what could be a busy and important stretch for the school across both programs. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Already Chasing A Massive Lineman For Its Future
Tennessee is already looking well down the road in its offensive line recruiting, and the latest name on the board is Rex George-Taylor, a 2028 prospect from Darlington, Ga. The Volunteers extended a scholarship offer to the towering junior, who checks in at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, adding him to a growing early list that also includes offers from Cincinnati, Mississippi State and Connecticut.
George-Taylors reaction to the Tennessee offer was part of the story, but the bigger takeaway for Vols fans is how aggressively the staff is approaching future line prospects this far out. Recruiting for players still years away from signing day is all about getting in early and staying present, and Tennessee appears to have done just that, with more developments expected as his recruitment continues to build. [Read more 🡒]