Tennessee to wear Dark Mode uniforms against Kentucky

No. 16 Tennessee will wear its Dark Mode uniforms against No. 9 Kentucky on Nov. 7 at Neyland Stadium. A look at the uniforms, series history and game notes.

Tennessee football revealed their adidas dark mode uniforms on July 9, 2026. The Vols will wear them on Nov. 7 against Kentucky. | Tennessee Athletics

No. 16 Tennessee football will host No. 9 Kentucky Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6:15 p.m. ET. Along with being Tennessee’s homecoming game, it will also serve as the Vols’ Dark Mode game. The Volunteers first wore Dark Mode jerseys in 2009 and brought them back in 2021. The Vols confirmed what many expected Friday morning with a Dark Mode hype video on social media.

The chaos lives within. ⚫️#GBO pic.twitter.com/y9Ptjt8goX

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 30, 2026

Tennessee returned to adidas in July, and the athletic department revealed uniforms across several days. On July 9, the Dark Mode uniform was released, and fans were ready to see the Vols play in it. Tennessee and adidas did these uniforms right, in my opinion: orange and black from the helmets down to the cleats, and a new number font combining traditional block with a modern style.

The Vols and Wildcats will play in front of the 33rd consecutive sellout crowd in Knoxville. This will be the 122nd meeting between the two programs, dating back to Oct. 21, 1893, with the Vols leading the series 86-26-9. Tennessee has won eight of the last 10 matchups, including five straight, and took last year’s game 56-34 in Lexington. Both teams come in off a bye. Kentucky is 7-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play under first-year head coach Will Stein, and has won six in a row since its lone loss, a second-half blowout to Alabama Sept. 12. 

Tennessee players celebrate with Tennessee defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby (18) before the touchdown on an interception is overturned during a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Tennessee’s defense will look to slow that streak, as it currently leads the nation with 35 sacks and ranks sixth nationally with 66 tackles for loss in year one under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. On offense, DeSean Bishop ranks second nationally with 957 rushing yards and is tied for sixth with 11 rushing touchdowns. He is 10th on Tennessee’s all-time rushing list with 2,488 career yards, powering a run game that averages 213 yards a game, 17th in the nation.

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