Tennessee football's future schedule is coming into a clearer view.
Along with the news that the Vols would play Georgia Tech for a home-and-home in 2026 and 2027, Tennessee will also host a different team from the Peach State.
In 2026, the Vols are set to welcome Kennesaw State into Neyland Stadium. The game will be played on Sept. 19, 2025, with a kickoff time and TV designation yet to be decided.
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Familiar connections
Kennesaw State is currently coached by Jerry Mack as he enters his first season as head coach. Mack was the running backs coach on Josh Heupel's staff at Tennessee from 2021-23 before taking the same position with the NFL's Jaguars.
He served as head coach at NC Central for four seasons from 2014-17 where he won three MEAC titles, as well.
A number of former Tennessee assistants joined Mack on his staff as he attempts to build up Kennesaw State.
Mitch Militello serves as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Owls. He spent four seasons on the offensive staff at Tennessee as an offensive analyst. He was also an offensive graduate assistant at Central Florida and Missouri.
Kennesaw State's special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, Kyle Blocker, also joins Mack's staff. He was a special teams analyst with the Vols from 2022-23. Most recently, he took the job as special teams coordinator at Miami (Ohio).
Mack has assigned his running back room to Aston Walter, as well. Walter was an offensive assistant at Tennessee from 2023-24, working with Mack in the 2023 season.
2026 schedule
This now marks three out-of-conference games slated on Tennessee's 2026 schedule.
Along with Kennesaw State being played at home on Sept. 19 and a trip to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech on Sept. 12, the other scheduled game is against Furman on Sept. 5 in Knoxville.
SEC schedules are yet to be announced for the 2026 campaign. There are still ongoing discussions on whether it will remain an eight-game conference format or if a ninth SEC matchup will be added to the schedule.
Past 2026, Tennessee is scheduled to host Georgia Tech and Western Michigan in 2027, play West Virginia on a neutral field in Charlotte in 2028, host Washington in 2029 and return the trip to Seattle to play the Huskies in 2030.
Who is Kennesaw State football
Kennesaw State is headed into its first year under Mack. The Owls have made a recent transition to the FBS level, beginning on July 1, 2024. In Their lone season in the Conference USA, Kennesaw State went 2-10 (2-6 CUSA).
The Owls' first win as an FBS team came over Liberty and former Vol quarterback Kaidon Salter.
Kennesaw State began its football program in 2015. Brian Bohannon was the first head coach and served until being let go following the 2024 season.
While coaching the Owls, he steered the program to a 72–37 (.661) record, four FCS Playoff appearances and a trio of conference titles.
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