The Tennessee Volunteers Will Rekindle A Forgotten Rivalry During 2026 Regular Season

The Tennessee Volunteers will renew a long forgotten rivalry against an out of conference opponent during the 2026 college football season.

College Football is a sport that is best known for its passionate fan bases, centuries-long traditions, and of course, hate filled rivalries. Seeing two passionate fan bases full of rowdy college-aged adults clash on Saturday's is a spectacle that few grows tired of.

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the sport's most recognizable brands, and have their fair share of iconic rivalry games that have been played annually for many years. However, this year, the Volunteers will be rekindling a rivalry that many likely have forgotten.

This season, Tennessee will travel to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The game will be the 45th meeting between these two schools in a series the Volunteers lead 25-17-2.

Georgia Tech and Tennessee's Forgotten Rivalry

Sep 4, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back J.J. Green (28) fumbles the ball against Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Rashaan Gaulden (7) during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While Georgia Tech and Tennessee weren't necessarily the most vicious of rivals, the two programs faced each other annually from 1954-1987 with only one game missing from the annual series (the two did not play in 1978).

In that time, the two teams delivered a handful of exciting moments and memorable matchups that live on in both program's history to this day. Their last meeting, which took place in 2017, also delivered an instant classic.

In the inaugural season of Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Volunteers rallied from a 14-point second half deficit to force overtime. The Vols' defense would deliver the game-winning play in the second overtime, as they denied a Georgia Tech two-point conversion to escape with a 42-41 victory over the Yellow Jackets.

While the sting of that loss has likely worn of for Georgia Tech and the two programs likely share little animosity, the renewal of Georgia Tech and Tennessee's rivalry will be a spectacle for some of college football's most season fans.

With a win this year, Tennessee will extend its winning streak against the Yellow Jackets to three consecutive games and will have not suffered a loss to Georgia Tech in more than 40 years. It would also mark Josh Heupel's first career victory over the program as the team's head coach.

The Volunteers will renew their rivalry with Georgia Tech as they take on the Yellow Jackets in Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday, September 12th. A kickoff time and TV network for this contest have not yet been announced.