NFL
By: Matt Brunelli
On September 22, 2025, On3 Sports announced the Tennessee Volunteers’ annual opponents, or “rivalry” games, for the next four years: Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. Most fans would have predicted Alabama and Vanderbilt, but many would have expected or hoped for Georgia or Florida instead. Not a single Tennessee fan I know considers Kentucky a football rival! The SEC assigned Tennessee two of the weaker SEC teams as rivals, which could hinder Tennessee’s playoff hopes over the next four years until the SEC re-evaluates these annual opponents. The worst part about selecting Kentucky is that we now don’t know when Tennessee will face Georgia again to end their nine-year losing streak. Let’s dive deeper into these three annual opponents.
• Alabama, also known as the Third Saturday in October game, has seen 107 meetings, with Alabama leading 59-40-7. Alabama holds the longest win streak at 15 games. Tennessee has won two of the last three games, with the 2022 victory being the only win over a Nick Saban-led team. I’m glad this game is sticking around for another four years, and I hope Tennessee can close the gap in the all-time series record.
• Vanderbilt, the in-state rivalry game, has been largely one-sided, with Tennessee leading the series 79-32-5. I’m not shocked the SEC kept this game, as who else would Vanderbilt play? This decision seems more about giving Vanderbilt a consistent opponent for the next four years than anything else. If Tennessee sweeps them over the next four years, I hope the SEC considers assigning Tennessee a new annual opponent.
• Kentucky, the most surprising annual opponent the SEC chose for Tennessee, feels like a decision made more for Kentucky’s benefit. Kentucky has never been a strong football program and lacks a true SEC rivalry. Tennessee dominates this series with an 84-29-9 record. Tennessee holds the longest winning streak at 26 games and currently has a four-game win streak. Kentucky has won only three of the last 40 games. This is not a rivalry.
My overall thoughts on the SEC’s assigned annual opponents are that Tennessee got the short end of the stick because the SEC didn’t know what to do with these teams. I hope the SEC balances our schedule with stronger opponents over the next four years; otherwise, Tennessee may find itself on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoffs.
