Tennessee has added another name to its 2028 non-conference schedule, and this one comes with a guarantee attached.
According to a report from FBSchedules.com, the Vols will host Central Michigan on Sept. 9, 2028 at Neyland Stadium. The report says Tennessee will pay the Chippewas a $1.3 million guarantee for the game.
It will be the first football meeting between Tennessee and Central Michigan. The Vols, though, have handled current MAC teams well, going 11-0 against the league’s current members. That list includes wins over Bowling Green, Ball State, Akron and Kent State under Josh Heupel.
With Central Michigan now on the books, Tennessee’s 2028 schedule is starting to take shape. The Vols already have their nine-game SEC slate, plus a neutral-site matchup with West Virginia. That leaves one non-conference opening still to be filled, and it is expected to go to a non-Power Four opponent since the Mountaineers are already scheduled.
Central Michigan enters the matchup after a 2025 season that ended at 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. The Chippewas took losses at Pitt, at Michigan and to Northwestern in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. It was also the first season for head coach Matt Drinkal, who had been an assistant at Army from 2019-24.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s upcoming schedule:
2026
Home: Furman, Kennesaw State, Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Texas
Away: Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
2027
Home: Tennessee State, Georgia Tech, Western Michigan, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma
2028
Home: Central Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Away: Auburn, LSU, Texas, Vanderbilt
Neutral: West Virginia (Charlotte)
In Other News...
Josh Richardson's Next Chapter Will Hit Tennessee Fans Hard
Josh Richardsons path from Knoxville to the NBA always felt like one of those Tennessee success stories that kept adding chapters long after his college days ended. A first-team All-SEC selection who helped push the Vols to a Sweet 16, Richardson turned that foundation into a 10-year pro career, moving through six NBA teams after being drafted in 2015 and eventually continuing his career overseas.
Now his next move brings the story back to where it started for Tennessee fans, who watched him grow into a reliable, versatile guard and then follow him across the league. Richardsons final professional stop came with Basket Zaragoza in Spain, and his career leaves behind the kind of rsum that still resonates in Knoxville, even as the details of what comes next remain to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Former Vol Chris Brazzell Hit With Brutal NFL Setback
Chris Brazzell had been one of the more encouraging early stories in Carolinas rookie program, turning heads in minicamp and rookie workouts and even drawing praise from Bryce Young. For a former Tennessee receiver trying to carve out a role with the Panthers, it looked like the kind of start that can matter for a young player trying to stick in the league.
Instead, the momentum stopped after an injury in a 7-on-7 practice, when Brazzell was carted off the field and the team initially explored a non-surgical route. A second opinion changed the course, and now the Panthers have to move forward without one of their most intriguing young additions, while Brazzell faces a long recovery before he gets another chance to build on that early promise. [Read more 🡒]
Derek Owings Is Already Changing Tennessee In One Noticeable Way
Josh Heupels decision to bring in Derek Owings as Tennessees new director of sports performance is already showing up in the little details around the program. Owings has pushed an approach that puts more emphasis on player nutrition and body composition, and he has added Kate OConnor as the director of football nutrition to help handle that side of the operation. Even the team dining hall has been adjusted to match the message, with fried food options no longer part of the setup.
The bigger challenge now is making those habits stick in an era when players have more freedom to eat away from the facility, especially with NIL money in the mix. Tennessees staff is watching meals closely and spending more time educating athletes about what they put in their bodies, because the old model of controlling everything inside the building does not work the same way anymore. Owings is trying to shape the program from the inside out, and the early signs suggest the changes are already starting to show up in the way players look and carry themselves. [Read more 🡒]