Look: Southeastern Conference announces Tennessee's 2025 football schedule

The Southeastern Conference unveiled the 2025 football slates for each of the 16 institutions on Wednesday night as Tennessee and the rest of its conference foes got a glimpse of what next fall look like on a weekly basis.

A reminder, the 2025 conference slate features the same opponents as this past season but flipped home/away. The league schedule consists of eight conference games and each program is mandated one Power 4 opponent. Guidelines for future scheduling remain unclear past the 2025 season.    

SEC home games for the Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in 2025 will feature Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Vanderbilt. UT will be on the road in conference play for games at Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State.  

Tennessee has already announced nonconference matchups with Syracuse (Aug 30) in Atlanta, Ga., ETSU (Sept. 6), UAB (Sept. 20) and New Mexico State (Nov. 15). The latter three nonconference contests will take place in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium. Thus, the entirety of the 2025 Volunteer football schedule is listed below with BYE weeks (2) included.

August 30 – Syracuse (ATL, Ga.)  

Tennessee will begin the new season at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game. The showcase will be the first leg of the two-game event as South Carolina and Virginia Tech are set to follow in the days after. Tennessee is 3-0 all-time in the series with the latest matchup coming in 2001. The one-point win over Syracuse in 1998 was a monumental moment in Tennessee’s national championship season. Syracuse finished the 2024 regular season 9-3 with a late upset win over Miami to knock the Hurricanes out of the playoff picture. Syracuse will play Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.     

September 6 – ETSU (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Tennessee and ETSU will meet for the second time ever in the week 2 matchup that will also serve as the home opener for the Vols. UT crushed the Buccaneers 59-3 in their lone meeting in 2018. ETSU will be under new leadership in 2025 now that Tre Lamb has accepted the Tulsa job and is coming off a 7-5 campaign.

September 13 – Georgia (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Another heavyweight battle between Tennessee and Georgia is set to take place next fall in Knoxville. Josh Heupel has tasted success against every team since being at Tennessee with the exception of Georgia as the Bulldogs have won eight-straight dating back to Tennessee’s hail mary win between the hedges in 2016. Georgia leads the all-time series 23-29-2 as the Vols will look to win over the ‘dawgs in Knoxville for the first time since 2015.    

September 20 – UAB (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Tennessee and UAB will meet for the sixth time ever with the Vols holding a commanding 5-0 lead in the matchup. The last time these two programs met was in 2019 with Tennessee coming out on top 30-7. The Blazers were 3-9 this past season under former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer.

September 27 – Mississippi State (Starkville, Miss.)

Josh Heupel and his old pal Jeff Lebby will square off again in 2025, this time in Starkville. Tennessee defeated the Bulldogs 33-14 in Knoxville this past season and own a 30-16-1 record in the all-time series. The Vols will play Mississippi State in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-2008 and have won eight of the past 10 matchups.

October 4 – BYE WEEK

October 11 – Arkansas (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Tennessee seeks revenge against the Hogs in 2025 with the game taking place in Knoxville. Arkansas upset Tennessee 19-14 this past fall and created the lone bad look on the Volunteers resume. Still, Tennessee leads the all-time series 13-7 but have lost four-straight in the series and five of the last six. UT’s last win against the Razorbacks came in Knoxville back in 2007.    

October 18 – Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

The Third Saturday in October rivalry is one of the best in college football and is set to take place on October 18, 225 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 60-40-7 and have won eight of the last 10 meetings. However, the Vols have won two of the last three and snapped a 15-game losing-streak in the series back in 2022. Tennessee will be seeking its first win on the road in the series since 2003.  

October 25 – Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)

The famous ‘Border Bowl’ or what used to be called the ‘Battle of the Beer Barrel’ will renew in 2025 at historic Kroger Field. Tennessee has dominated the series history with an 85-26-9 record and has won four-straight and eight of the past 10 matchups. Tennessee defeated the Wildcats this past fall at Neyland Stadium, 28-18.

November 1 – Oklahoma (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Josh Heupel beat his old team in a monumental game (personally) road game to begin SEC play in 2024. Now, the Sooners will travel to Knoxville in 2025 looking to win again where they did so in double overtime back in 2015. The Sooners lead the all-time (limited) series 3-2 in a series where the first matchup took place in 1939.

November 8 – BYE Week

November 15 – New Mexico State (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Tennessee and New Mexico State will meet for the first time in series history in 2025 as the game will serve as the November nonconference game for the Big Orange. The Aggies finished the 2024 campaign with a 3-9 record with wins over Southeast Missouri, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee.

November 22 – Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)

Tennessee and Florida will play in The Swamp in 2025, a place the Volunteers haven’t won since 2003. Tennessee has won two of the past three matchups and snapped an 11-game losing-streak in the series back in 2016. Tennessee defeated Florida in overtime this past season, winning23-17 in Knoxville.

November 29 – Vanderbilt (Knoxville, Tenn.)

One of the oldest rivalries in all of college football will renew to cap off the 2025 regular season when Vanderbilt travels to Knoxville at the end of November. Tennessee holds a commanding 81-32-5 series lead in the all-time matchups and have won seven of the past 10 matchups, including six-straight. The Vols handled the Commodores 36-23 to end the 2024 regular season, punching their ticket to the College Football Playoffs.