Look: Tennessee football's full 2024 schedule released

The Southeastern Conference on Wednesday released the complete 2024 football schedules for the new 16-team league, with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas. Tennessee will start SEC play at Oklahoma in September, host Florida and Alabama in back-to-back home games in October and again will face Georgia in November.

Here’s a week-by-week look at the full 2024 schedule for the Vols:

August 31 — Chattanooga

Tennessee is 39-2-2 all time against Chattanooga in a series that dates back to 1899. The Vols lost to Chattanooga 5-0 in 1905, when the school was known as Grant Memorial University. There were two ties featuring a combined 12 points in 1909 (0-0) and 1910 (6-6). Chattanooga’s other win came in 1958 in Knoxville, 14-6. Tennessee won the most recent meetings, beating Chattanooga 45-0 in 2019 and 45-10 in 2014.

September 7 — N.C. State

Tennessee is 2-1 against North Carolina State. The Vols lost 16-0 in Raleigh in 1911, won 13-0 in Raleigh in 1939 and beat the Wolfpack 35-21 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in 2012. The 2024 game is another neutral-site meeting, with the two teams playing at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. 

September 14 — Kent State 

Tennessee has never played Kent State in football. The Golden Flashes went just 1-11 this season, with the lone win coming at home against Central Connecticut State in September. Kent State is currently dead last in the ESPN Football Power Index, ranked No. 133.

September 21 — At Oklahoma

Tennessee had a non-conference game scheduled with Oklahoma for 2024, but the SEC told both schools to cancel the series with the Sooners set to join the league. The two teams have met only four times, with Oklahoma winning the last three. The Vols beat the Sooner 17-0 in the 1939 Orange Bowl, capping an 11-0 season in which the Tennessee defense allowed only 16 total points. Oklahoma won 26-24 in the 1968 Orange Bowl, won 34-10 in Norman in 2014 and won 31-24 in overtime at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville in 2016. 

September 28 — Bye Week

October 5 — At Arkansas

The two teams have played only 19 times dating back to 1907, with Tennessee winning 13 times. Arkansas has won three straight — the Hogs won 24-13 in Fayetteville during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the last time the two teams met — and four of the last five, though, going back to a 31-14 win over the Vols in Fayetteville in 2006. Tennessee won nine of the first 10 meetings, between 1907 and 1998. The 1998 game, a meeting between two undefeated teams in Knoxville on November 14, is by far the most memorable. Clint Stoerner stumbled and fumbled and the rest was history. 

October 12 — Florida

The Vols lost a tough one in Gainesville back in September 29-16. Tennessee’s 38-33 win at Neyland Stadium the previous September snapped five-game losing streak in the series that dated back to the 38-28 win in Knoxville in 2016. Before that, the Gators won 11 in a row, after Tennessee had won three of four between 2001 and 2004. It became an annual rivalry in 1990. Florida leads the all-time series 32-21.

October 19 — Alabama

Alabama overcame a 20-7 halftime deficit in October to get the series back under the Crimson Tide’s control. Tennessee’s 52-49 win last October at Neyland Stadium broke the Crimson Tide’s streak of 15 straight wins in the series. The Vols won seven in a row between 1995 and 2001 and won 10 of 12 between 1995 and 2006. It’s been an annual rivalry since 1928 and was first played in 1901. Alabama leads the all-time series 59-39-7.

October 26: Second Bye Week

November 2 — Kentucky

Tennessee has won ten of its last 12 games against Kentucky, dating back to 2012, including the 33-27 win in Lexington in October. The Wildcats won at Neyland Stadium in 2020, their first win in Knoxville since 1984, and in Lexington in 2011 and 2017. The win in 2011 snapped Tennessee’s streak of 26 straight wins in the series, which dates back to 1893. The Vols have been dominant against the Cats, with an 84-26-9 all-time record in the border battle.

November 9 — Mississippi State

Tennessee is 29-16-1 in the all-time series against Mississippi State, dating back to 1907. The Vols have won 10 of the last 12, including a 20-10 win at Neyland Stadium in 2019, the most recent matchup. Tennessee hasn’t played in Starkville since 2012. The Vols beat Mississippi State 24-14 in the SEC Championship game in December 1998, en route to a 13-0 season and the BCS National Championship.

November 16 — At Georgia

Georgia, the defending back-to-back national champions, have won seven straight against Tennessee. The Vols won back-to-back games in the series in 2015 and 2016, winning 38-31 in Knoxville in 2015 and 34-31 in 2016, when Jauan Jennings hauled in the Hail Mary touchdown from Joshua Dobbs on the last play of the game. The two teams started playing yearly in 1992. Georgia leads the all-time series 28-23-2.

November 23 — UTEP 

Tennessee is 3-0 against UTEP in a series that dates back to 1986, with the two most recent games being shutout wins. The Vols won 24-0 in September 2018 and 56-0 in September 1990. Tennessee won 26-16 in October 1986. UTEP recently hired former Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden. Walden’s Govs lost 30-13 at Neyland Stadium in September.

November 30 — At Vanderbilt

Tennessee has won five straight in the series after Vanderbilt had a run of five wins in seven years between 2012 and 2018. The Vols won 22 straight between 1983 and 2004, before Vandy came to Knoxville and won 28-24 in 2005. Tennessee won the next six, before the ‘Dores took advantage of the Derek Dooley and Butch Jones eras. Tennessee leads the all-time series 79-33-5 dating back to 1892. Vandy won 18 of the first 23 meetings (Tennessee won twice and the teams tied three times). The Vols hired General Robert Neyland to end Vandy’s early dominance in the series. Tennessee lost to Vandy only 10 times between 1926 and 2004.