​In 2026, Southeastern Conference football teams will contest nine league games. Each member institution will designate three permanent opponents and will face six rotating foes over the next four years. Starting with the 2026 season, Tennessee will meet Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt as its permanent partners on the schedule.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel emphasized how these rivalries and the unique matchups across home games, road games, and neutral-site games contribute to the excitement fans feel about college football. He noted that these special experiences are a core part of what makes the sport meaningful to fans and programs alike.
Ahead of the 2026 college football season, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projected overall win-loss records for SEC programs. In the projections, Tennessee is anticipated to finish with an 8.6-3.6 record. The FPI projections for all SEC programs are listed below, providing a snapshot of expected performance across the conference.
Tennessee’s 2026 schedule, with projected outcomes, includes:
– September 5: vs. East Carolina
– September 12: at Kentucky
– September 19: vs. Florida State
– September 26: vs. South Carolina
– October 3: at Mississippi State
– October 10: vs. Georgia
– October 17: at Tennessee
– October 24: vs. Texas A&M
– November 7: at LSU
– November 14: at Vanderbilt
– November 21: vs. Chattanooga
– November 28: vs. Auburn
Projected record: 8.6-3.6
Other SEC programs also faced notable schedules and projections in the ESPN FPI:
– An SEC team opened with a game on September 5 against North Alabama, followed by September 12 at Utah, and September 19 hosting Georgia, with the remainder of the slate including clashes such as October 3 at Texas A&M and October 17 at Vanderbilt, continuing through November with matchups like November 21 at Texas and November 28 vs. LSU. The projected record for this program stood at 4.3-7.7.
– A different SEC member opened September 5 against Baylor in Atlanta, Georgia, hosting Southern Miss on September 12, and facing Florida on September 19. The rest of the schedule included October 17 at Georgia and October 31 at Ole Miss, culminating with November 28 at Alabama. The projection for this team was 6.6-5.4.
– Another program began September 5 versus Florida Atlantic, with September 12 hosting Campbell and September 19 at Auburn. The late-season slate featured October 10 vs. South Carolina and November 7 at Ole Miss, finishing with November 28 at Alabama. That program carried a projected 6.7-5.3 record.
– A further SEC team opened September 5 against Tennessee State, hosted Western Kentucky on September 12, and traveled to Arkansas on September 19. The schedule also included November 7 at Ole Miss and November 21 at South Carolina, with a projected record of 9.9-2.5.
These projections reflect ESPN FPI’s attempt to quantify each team’s expected performance across the season, taking into account returning production, schedule strength, and other factors. As the season approaches, actual results may diverge from these forecasts due to injuries, transfers, game-day conditions, and in-season developments.