Tennessee football will begin the third year of the Josh Heupel era ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, it was announced on Monday.
The Vols are one of six Southeastern Conference teams in the poll, joining No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 LSU, No. 22 Ole Miss, and No. 23 Texas A&M. Tennessee was ranked No. 10 in the USA Today AFCA Coaches Preseason poll last week.
It’s the 43rd time that the Vols will open a season ranked in the AP Top 25, which is 10th all-time among programs. The No. 12 ranking is the Vols’ highest to open a season in the AP poll since debuting No. 9 in 2016.
The Vols are now ranked in 16 consecutive AP polls dating back to Sept. 6 last season.
Tennessee will face three opponents in the AP Preseason Top 25, including No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama and No. 23 Texas A&M. Four additional foes are receiving votes in the poll, including South Carolina, UTSA, Kentucky and Florida.
The Vols begin their 127th season on Sept. 2 against Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
