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Tennessee has tabbed its first-ever on-campus meeting with Texas as its “Checker Neyland” game for 2026 and will play border rival Kentucky on Homecoming this season. The Vols announced game designations for four home games for the upcoming season on Tuesday morning, including their Champions Weekend (Auburn) and annual Salute to Service game (Kennesaw State). Tennessee has sold out of season tickets for a fourth season in a row with the 2026 schedule, the first with nine SEC games, featuring an enticing slate of games at Neyland Stadium. Checker Neyland presented by Pilot will be against Texas on September 26. The Vols and Longhorns have played only three times, all in Cotton Bowl matchups with the most recent meeting coming on New Year’s Day in 1969. In its third season in the SEC, Texas is perhaps the headline opponent of a home schedule also including visits from Iron Bowl rivals Alabama and Auburn and Lane Kiffin returning with LSU after his contentious move from Ole Miss last year. This will be the 10th Checker Neyland game in Tennessee history. The Vols had a three-game win streak (Florida 2022, Texas A&M 2023 and Florida 2024) snapped in an overtime loss to Georgia last season. The Bulldogs handed Tennessee one of their three losses at Neyland after Josh Heupel had lost four games in his first four seasons as head coach. Tennessee will hold its annual Salute to Service Game against Kennesaw State on September 19, honoring service members, military veterans and their families the week before Texas comes to town. It will be the first ever meeting between the Vols and Owls, who are coached by former Heupel assistant Jerry Mack, who was Tennessee’s running backs coach for three seasons (2021-23) before leading Kennesaw State from a 2-10 season to a surprise Conference USA title in 2025 in just the program’s second FBS season. The Auburn game on October 3 against another former Heupel assistant in 2021-22 offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh, whose Tigers last played in Knoxville in 2013, will be Tennessee’s Champions Weekend presented by Pilot, the fifth annual event welcoming back past teams and individuals who won SEC and/or NCAA titles during specific years and celebrating anniversaries. The Kentucky game on November 7 will be the 102nd Homecoming game for the Vols. Tennessee moved to 78-20-3 all-time on Homecoming after beating New Mexico State last season, its fourth straight Homecoming win dating back to a 2021 loss to Georgia. The Vols played an SEC opponent for Homecoming in 2024 (Mississippi State), but last played the Wildcats for Homecoming in 1974 (a 24-7 win). Tennessee’s Senior Day will be against LSU in the regular-season home finale on November 21.