Alabama, Tennessee Reviving Long-Time Tradition in 2026, 2027 Football Games

The Crimson Tide and Volunteers are bringing back something they haven't done during a Third Saturday in October matchup since 1970.

Oct 21, 1967; Birmingham, AL, USA FILE PHOTO;Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ken Stabler (12) sets to throw against the Tennessee Volunteers at Legion Field. Tennessee defeated Alabama 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alabama and Tennessee have agreed to wear their “home” jerseys for the annual “Third Saturday in October” in 2026 and 2027. The two-year arrangement was agreed on by both administrations and head coaches along with the SEC.

This year’s contest on Oct. 17 at Neyland Stadium will mark be the first time since 1970 that both teams will wear their home jerseys. The Crimson Tide will don crimson tops this season in Knoxville while the Volunteers sport their orange jersey. Next season will be the same arrangement in Tuscaloosa.

The two teams played at Legion Field from 1932-97 with the last home-and-home matchup in Alabama occurring on Oct. 18, 1969, in Birmingham. Both programs often wore their home jerseys in unison during this era.

“This series is built on decades of tradition, and we’re excited to bring back a piece of its history beginning this season,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in a press release. “This required collaboration from both schools and the Southeastern Conference, and I’m thankful to President Mohler, Tennessee’s administration, including AD Danny White, and the league office for their support and willingness to work together. We believe this will make an already special rivalry even more enjoyable for our teams and our fans.”

“The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry is one of the most historic in all of college football,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said in the press release. “I know how much this game means to our fans, and the tradition and pageantry surrounding it is second to none. This will be another unique element that makes the ‘Third Saturday in October’ so special to both universities.”

Playing an SEC schedule is never easy, but Alabama's Third Saturday in October Rivalry with Tennessee this season comes in the middle of a brutal stretch for the Crimson Tide. The road trip up to Knoxville is sandwiched in between home games with two of the teams that tied Alabama in the SEC standings and made appearances in the College Football Playoff with Georgia in Week 6 and Texas A&M in Week 8.

Alabama won 15 games in a row over Tennessee from 2007 to 2021, but the Volunteers have won the last two matchups inside Neyland Stadium (including during Kalen DeBoer's first season in 2024.)

Can the Crimson Tide reverse that trend this season when it travels to Tennessee on Oct. 17? A lot will happen between now and then, but here is an early look at what the Volunteers will look like in 2026.

The Game

Date: Oct. 17

Time: TBD (Flex starting at either 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT or 5-7 p.m. CT)

TV: TBD

Location: Neyland Stadium. Knoxville, Tennessee

Series history: Alabama leads, 60-40-7

Last meeting: Alabama beat Tennessee 37-20 on Oct. 18, 2025. Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards with two touchdowns, but the highlight of the game was Zabien Brown's 99-yard intereption return for a touchdown as time expired at the end of the first half.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.