No. 20 Tennessee will open the season in its familiar home look when Furman comes to Knoxville this weekend.
The Vols said Thursday morning that they’ll go with white helmets, orange jerseys and white pants for the opener. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on SEC Network+ and Richard Cross handling play-by-play, Max Starks working as analyst and Ashlyn Sullivan reporting from the sideline.
The uniform reveal comes a few months after Tennessee introduced its new Adidas home set in July, part of the school’s switch in apparel partners. The updates are not dramatic, but they do carry some program-specific details. Inside the collar is the phrase “I will give my all!” - the same wording tied to the sign players tap before running through the T at Neyland Stadium.
“The text from one of the Vols' oldest and most famous traditions is now emblazoned on the inside of each uniform collar,” Tennessee stated in the release. “Beyond a pregame touch of the iconic, Tennessee-shaped sign, players now physically carry this Volunteer promise with them into every play.”
Tennessee also pointed to the front numbers as the biggest visible change. The school described them as the “most prominent alteration” to the football uniforms.
“Inspired by the classic, block athletic numbers so familiar to the Volunteers' rich football history, the bold numerals incorporate angles and curvature that complements the Power T.”
The look is still close to what Tennessee wore under Nike, the program’s apparel provider for the past decade. Adidas and Tennessee were previously linked from 1997 to 2015, a stretch that included the Vols’ last national championship in football in 1998.
Josh Heupel said the school’s new partnership gives Tennessee a boost moving forward.
“We appreciate adidas recognizing the power of the Tennessee brand and we are excited about the future of this transformative partnership,” Heupel said in Tennessee's announcement. “Both current and future Vols will benefit from this historic deal. adidas is providing us with world-class resources and apparel that will continue to push our brand to the forefront of college football for years to come.”
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 🡒]