Tennessee fans will get to start counting down a little sooner.
The Vols announced schedule changes that move both of their 2027 and 2028 season openers into August, pushing the start of each year forward and giving the program two early Power Four matchups. Georgia Tech will open the 2027 season at Neyland Stadium, while Tennessee will begin 2028 against West Virginia in Charlotte.
The biggest shift for Knoxville comes in 2027, when Tennessee’s home game against Georgia Tech moves from Sept. 11 to Aug. 28, according to schedule changes reported by FBSchedules. That turns a September date into a late-August kickoff and sends the Yellow Jackets into Neyland for the first game of the season.
It also gives Tennessee a familiar opponent right out of the gate. The Vols beat Georgia Tech 45-24 in Atlanta earlier this season in the first game of the home-and-home series, and now the return meeting will launch the 2027 slate.
The rest of Tennessee’s 2027 nonconference schedule stays in place. Tennessee State remains set for Sept. 4, and Western Michigan is still scheduled for Sept. 18.
The 2028 opener shifts too. Tennessee’s game against West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Classic moves from Sept. 2 to Aug. 26, giving the Vols another season-opening test against a Power Four opponent. That means Tennessee will start back-to-back seasons with major nonconference matchups, one at home and one on the road in Charlotte.
Tennessee also made a change to its home game against Chattanooga. That matchup, which had been set for Sept. 16, is now scheduled for Sept. 2.
The timing lines up with the expanded regular-season calendar that begins in 2027, when games will start the final weekend in August. It also gives Tennessee room to work two open dates into a nine-game SEC schedule, a useful setup over the grind of a full season.
For fans, the practical takeaway is simple: the orange comes out earlier. Georgia Tech in Neyland on Aug.
28, 2027. West Virginia in Charlotte on Aug.
26, 2028. The wait for Tennessee football just got shorter.
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It was a small gesture, but the kind that fits the broader story of Dobbs, who has long been valued for his presence as much as his arm. He turned in a strong preseason for Detroit and remains a veteran backup at age 31, but moments like this are why he still seems to resonate in Knoxville, where efficiency, awareness and a team-first approach have always played well. [Read more 🡒]
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What stands out most is how quickly she has bought into the bigger picture around Kim Caldwells team. Theuerkauf talked about chemistry, the gains made over the summer, and the trust she has in Caldwell as Tennessee starts to put its pieces together. For a program that expects newcomers to fit into a demanding standard fast, that matters, and it suggests Theuerkauf may be more than just another veteran guard in the rotation. She already sounds like someone who understands the assignment, even if the real proof will come once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]