Tennessee Hosts Texas in SEC Opener Saturday on ABC

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 09:05 UTC

The short version

Tennessee (3-0) hosts Texas (3-0) in both teams' SEC opener on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Neyland Stadium.
Kickoff is 12 p.m. ET on ABC; streaming available on Fubo, the ESPN app and ESPN Unlimited.
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit call the game; Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge report from the sidelines.
BetMGM odds as of Sept. 25: Texas favored by 5, over/under 54.5, money line Tennessee +170 / Texas -210.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend and ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast from campus.

No. 3-0 Tennessee welcomes No. 3-0 Texas to Neyland Stadium for a Week 4 conference opener airing nationally on ABC with kickoff set for noon.

Tennessee opens SEC play on Saturday, Sept. 26, when the Longhorns of Texas visit Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Both teams come in undefeated at 3-0, making this one of the marquee matchups of Week 4 in the 2026 college football season.

The Volunteers reached 3-0 with non-conference wins over Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. Tennessee opened the year with a 56-9 rout of Furman on Sept. 5, then beat Georgia Tech 45-24 on the road on Sept. 12. A 42-9 home victory over Kennesaw State on Sept. 19 set up conference play.

Texas also enters at 3-0, highlighted by a comeback win over Ohio State earlier this season in Austin. The Longhorns bring quarterback Arch Manning along with playmakers Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman, and a defense that has been among the stingiest in the country.

The game carries national attention beyond the matchup itself. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend, and ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast from the Tennessee campus on game day.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Neyland Stadium. The game will air nationally on ABC, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call and Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines.

Viewers can stream the broadcast through Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers, or through the ESPN app and ESPN Unlimited.

Betting markets, per BetMGM odds published Friday, Sept. 25, list Texas as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 54.5 points. The money line is Tennessee at plus-170 and Texas at minus-210. A Knox News prediction from reporter Adam Sparks forecasts a 30-24 Texas win, citing the challenge facing the Vols offense behind freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon.

After Saturday, Tennessee hosts Auburn on Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. before a road trip to Arkansas on Oct. 10. The Vols then welcome Alabama on Oct. 17, travel to South Carolina on Oct. 24 and have an open date on Oct. 31. The back half of the schedule includes Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU and Vanderbilt, with the SEC Championship Game set for Dec. 5 in Atlanta.