Tennessee and Alabama Bring Back a Rivalry Tradition Lost Since 1970

Tennessee and Alabama will both wear home jerseys for the Third Saturday in October in 2026 and 2027, reviving a tradition last seen in 1970.

Tennessee players review plays on the sideline during the Alabama and Tennessee football game at Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Tennessee Vs Alabama Football 100369 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For more than five decades, the Third Saturday in October has been dressed down. Not in intensity, but in wardrobe. Since 1970, Tennessee and Alabama have followed the modern college football custom of the home team wearing colors while the visitor dons white. That changes in 2026 and 2027, as both programs have agreed to wear their home jerseys in both meetings, restoring a visual tradition that predates the careers of most fans watching today (utsports.com).

Peak fall colors.

For the first time since 1970, @Vol_Football and Alabama will each wear their "home" jerseys — orange and crimson, respectively — for the Third Saturday in October.

Tennessee hosts Alabama on Oct. 17 at Neyland Stadium.https://t.co/HOsSpidZgA

— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) August 19, 2026

The agreement was announced by both schools. When Alabama travels to Neyland Stadium on October 17, 2026, the Crimson Tide will wear crimson rather than white, squaring off against Tennessee's trademark burnt orange. The two programs will repeat the arrangement in 2027 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

The last time both teams wore color in this matchup was 1970, during Bill Battle's first season as Tennessee's head coach. That day, the Volunteers throttled Alabama 24-0, powered by a school record eight interceptions, three of which came from defensive back Tim Priest (utsports.com). Battle went on to coach at Tennessee through 1976, compiling a 59-22-2 record and three top ten finishes, before later returning to his alma mater as Alabama's athletic director from 2013 to 2017, a full circle detail that makes this throwback announcement feel especially fitting.

A fall tradition returns. 🍁#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/mDrNWNplGt

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 19, 2026

Tennessee's Danny White struck a nostalgic tone in the announcement, noting that the Third Saturday in October stands alone in college football and crediting Alabama's Greg Byrne for the shared commitment to bringing the moment back for fans (utsports.com). Heupel echoed that sentiment, calling the rivalry historic for players, fans, and former Volunteers alike.

There is also a competitive subplot worth watching. Alabama has dropped its last two trips to Knoxville, meaning DeBoer's Crimson Tide will be chasing a much needed road win in Neyland Stadium, this time in crimson rather than white. The rivalry has swung dramatically over the years, from Nick Saban's Alabama teams winning fifteen straight meetings from 2007 onward to Tennessee's stunning 52-49 upset in 2022, a game so wild it ended with the goalposts in the Tennessee River.

Uniform trivia aside, this decision speaks to something larger in college football right now: a pullback toward tradition amid a sport that has otherwise sprinted toward flashy alternates, Smokey Grey editions, and blackout nights. For two fan bases that treat the Third Saturday in October as a religious holiday, seeing crimson and orange collide the old-fashioned way will be a welcome return to form, and a reminder that some rivalries are best experienced exactly as they were meant to be.

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Follow Our Staff on X

• Follow Caleb Sisk on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Dale Dowden on X (Click HERE)