ESPN confirms date for Tennessee football's game vs. Florida next season
It was confirmed on Monday night that Tennessee will host Florida on October 12 next season at Neyland Stadium. The date of the game was announced on The ‘ManningCast’ during Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Tennessee-Florida is the only SEC game and date that has been announced for the Vols so far. Dates for Tennessee-Alabama and Tennessee-Oklahoma and others have been reported, but not yet announced. The complete 2024 game-by-game schedule will be released Wednesday night.
ESPN’s Chris Low reported two weeks ago that Oklahoma would make its debut in SEC play against Tennessee on September 21 at Memorial Stadium. Low also reported that Tennessee will face Florida and Alabama in back-to-back weeks at home, with the Crimson Tide playing in Knoxville on October 19.
The SEC in June announced 2024 opponents for SEC teams in the new 16-team league, with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. The Tennessee-Oklahoma game will be Josh Heupel’s return to Norman to face the Sooners, where he starred at quarterback and spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach.
Mark your calendars 🗓️
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 12, 2023
Oct 12, 2024
🆚 Florida
📺 Full release Dec. 13 at 7PM ET on @espn & @SECNetwork! pic.twitter.com/IT4ZNgmaDS
A closer look at Tennessee’s 2024 schedule
Tennessee will play road games at Arkansas, Georgia and Vanderbilt, along with the trip to Oklahoma. The Vols will play SEC home games against Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State.
Four dates have already been announced for Tennessee’s 2024 schedule. The Vols open the season against Chattanooga on August 31 at Neyland Stadium, then go to Charlotte to face North Carolina State in a neutral-site game on September 7 at Bank Of America Stadium. Tennessee returns home to face Kent State on September 14. UTEP will be the homecoming game on November 23.
It was announced in February that Texas and Oklahoma would be a leaving the Big 12 a year early and joining the SEC in 2024.
The Longhorns went 12-1 this season, including a win at Alabama in September, and are in the College Football Playoff, facing Washington in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma went 10-2, including a win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
What Volquest has heard about next season’s schedule
Volquest’s Austin Price reported on November 27 that Tennessee will play at Arkansas on October 5, a week before hosting Florida. The Vols are expected to have one of two bye weeks on September 28, between the Oklahoma and Arkansas dates.
The Kentucky game is expected to be October 26 at Neyland Stadium, giving Tennessee three straight home games. That leaves Mississippi State, Georgia and Vanderbilt, along with the second bye week, in November.
The SEC during its spring meetings earlier this year voted on an eight-game league schedule after the additions of Texas and Florida.
