KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – ESPN College GameDay is returning to Knoxville for the 13th time when Tennessee hosts top-ranked Texas for its SEC opener next Saturday in Neyland Stadium.

The show will once again originate from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9 a.m. ET until 11 a.m. The final hour of the show from 11 a.m. to noon will be held inside Neyland Stadium leading up to the noon kickoff on ABC. Fans are encouraged to arrive early.

Rece Davis is at the helm of ESPN College GameDay for his 12th season. He’s joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. College football insider Pete Thamel, ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims round out the cast.

Following GameDay, Herbstreit will join Chris Fowler and Holly Rowe as part of ABC’s lead game team to call the SEC showdown inside a Checker Neyland Stadium.

Neyland Stadium is sold out for the 30th straight game with Checker Neyland presented by Pilot taking center stage. Fans are encouraged to wear orange or white, depending on their seat location. To find out if your seat section is orange or white, go to CheckerNeyland.com and enter your section/row/seat number as it appears on your digital ticket.

Additional information on Friday on-campus ESPN programming will be announced later this week.

All-Time Tennessee ESPN College GameDay Appearances

1995

Sept. 9, 1995 Georgia at No. 8 Tennessee                                    

Oct. 14, 1995 No. 6 Tennessee at No. 12 Alabama                       

 

1996

Sept. 21, 1996 No. 4 Florida at No. 2 Tennessee               

1997

Sept. 20, 1997 No. 4 Tennessee at No. 2 Florida               

Jan. 2, 1998 No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Nebraska Orange Bowl (Miami, Fla.)

1998

Oct. 10, 1998 No. 4 Tennessee at No. 7 Georgia              

Jan. 4, 1999 No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 1 Tennessee BCS National Championship Game / Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, Ariz.)

1999

Sept. 18, 1999 No. 2 Tennessee at No. 4 Florida               

Nov. 6, 1999 No. 24 Notre Dame at No. 4 Tennessee    

 

2000

Sept. 16, 2000 No. 6 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee               

2001

Dec. 1, 2001 No. 5 Tennessee at No. 2 Florida                

 

2002

Sept. 21, 2002 No. 10 Florida at No. 4 Tennessee              

Nov. 9, 2002 No. 2 Miami at Tennessee                           

 

2004

Oct. 2, 2004 No. 8 Auburn at No. 10 Tennessee             

Dec. 4, 2004 No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Auburn SEC Championship (Atlanta, Ga.)

2006

Oct. 28, 2006 No. 8 Tennessee at South Carolina            

Nov. 11, 2006 No. 13 Tennessee at No. 11 Arkansas          

 

2012

Sept. 15, 2012 No. 18 Florida at No. 23 Tennessee                        

 

2016

Sept. 10, 2016 Virginia Tech vs. No. 17 Tennessee Battle at Bristol (Bristol, Tenn.)

Sept. 24, 2016 No. 19 Florida at No. 14 Tennessee             

Oct. 8, 2016 No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M

2022

Sept. 24, 2022 No. 18 Florida at No. 15 Tennessee

Oct. 15, 2022 No. 3/1 Alabama at No. 6/8 Tennessee

Nov. 5, 2022 No. 2/3 Tennessee at No. 1/1 Georgia 

2024 

Sept. 21, 2024 No. 6/7 Tennessee at No. 15/13 Oklahoma 

Nov. 9, 2024 No. 6/4 Tennessee at No. 11/10 Georgia

Dec. 21, 2024 No. 7 Tennessee at No. 6 Ohio State 

2025 

Sept. 13, 2025 No. 6/3 Georgia at No. 15/15 Tennessee 

2026 

Sept. 26, 2026 #1/1 Texas at #15/14 Tennessee