Alabama, Vandy… And Who Should Be Tennessee’s Third Annual Rival?
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
The SEC has officially enacted a nine-game conference slate beginning in the 2026 season, the conference announced on Thursday afternoon.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has been one of the strongest advocates for implementing a nine-game football schedule. In an interview with ESPN at SEC media days last month Sankey acknowledged that “My life doesn’t end if I don't [implement a nine-game schedule].”
Under the new format, each SEC school will play three annual opponents that are centered around maintaining traditional rivalries.
For the Volunteers, two of those annual opponents are in essence already set with Alabama and Vanderbilt.
The question now sparking debate among Vol fans on social media is who should be Tennessee’s third annual opponent? Florida or Kentucky?
For many, and including me, the answer seems obvious: Florida.
The Tennessee-Florida rivalry has been one of the most passionately charged matchups in the SEC since it became a yearly tradition in 1990.
From the Peyton Manning heartbreak years in the mid-90s to the electric 38-33 victory in 2022, this game has delivered thrilling moments that truly shape the course of each team’s season year after year.
To many other Vols fans the answer seems even more obvious: Kentucky.
Tennessee and Kentucky first matched up in 1893 and share one of the oldest rivalries in the SEC. The two teams have played every year since 1919, with the lone exception being 1943 due to World War II.
If the SEC is truly committed to maintaining traditional rivalries, it’s difficult to justify choosing Florida over Kentucky.
Frankly, Kentucky doesn’t have many traditional SEC rivalries in football outside of Tennessee, excluding the Vols in their annual opponents would leave the Cats without a primary rival.
The logical choice is clear. It may not be the most entertaining choice, given Tennessee’s dominant 85-26-9 record over Kentucky, but the three annual opponents going forward for the Vols ought to be Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky.
