KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football jumped to No. 15 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA Coaches poll with its SEC opener on deck against No. 6/3 Georgia Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
The SEC opener for both teams is a Checker Neyland presented by Pilot contest, which showcases UT’s iconic checkerboard pattern through the stadium. Neyland Stadium is sold out for a 22nd consecutive game. Fans are encouraged to wear orange or white, depending on their seat location. To find out if your seat section is orange or white, go to CheckerNeyland.com and enter your section/row/seat number as it appears on your digital ticket.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC. ESPN’s College GameDay will be on location in Knoxville for the first time since 2022. It will be the 12th time that the show has originated from Rocky Top and the program’s 28th all-time appearance.
The Georgia contest will also serve as the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute for VFL legend John Henderson. Henderson, a two-time first-team All-American and 2000 Outland Trophy winner, will be officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
The Vols (2-0) were the highest riser in the AP Top 25, climbing seven spots from No. 22 to No. 15. It’s the 22nd consecutive week that Tennessee has been ranked in the poll. Meanwhile, the Vols are in the Coaches rankings for the 50th straight week dating back to Sept. 11, 2022. Forty-five of those 50 weeks have seen UT land in the top 20.
Associated Press Top 25 (Sept. 7)
1. Ohio State (57)
2. Penn State (5)
3. LSU (2)
4. Oregon (1)
5. Miami
6. Georgia
7. Texas
8. Notre Dame
9. Illinois
10. Florida State
11. South Carolina
12. Clemson
13. Oklahoma
14. Iowa State
15. Tennessee
16. Texas A&M
17. Ole Miss
18. USF
19. Alabama
20. Utah
21. Texas Tech
22. Indiana
23. Michigan
24. Auburn
25. Missouri
