Props to the Tennessee Volunteers for not giving up like the Nebraska Cornhuskers most certainly did. I could not care less that the Big Ten has nine conference games. Michigan makes it a point to schedule big-time schools in the non-conference. Even cautious Iowa still schedules in-state rival Iowa State for CyHawk every year in the non-conference. Tennessee has found a new opponent.
On Wednesday, Tennessee has agreed to play a home-and-home with traditional rival Georgia Tech in 2026 and 2027. This replaces the Nebraska dates after the Cornhuskers backed out of the deal. The 2026 game will be in Atlanta, while the 2027 game will be in Knoxville. It has been a minute, but the Bobby Dodd Bowl is back in business. The last game was all about Butch Jones' Team 121 trash cans.
Here is the official statement from Tennessee athletic director Danny White on this home-and-home.
"After Nebraska canceled the series, our main focus was to secure another home-and-home matchup with an opponent from a Power Four conference, which seemed improbable at the time. I sincerely appreciate Athletic Director J Batt's creativity in modifying Georgia Tech's schedule to make this series possible. We look forward to seeing plenty of orange in Atlanta in 2026!"
In an increasingly distracted society, you owe it to your players and fans to schedule compelling games in the non-conference however you can. Tennessee and Georgia Tech used to compete in the SEC for years prior to the Yellow Jackets going independent decades ago. From 1954 to 1987, the Vols and Jackets met all but three times. The 2026 game will be the second meeting since 1987...
White and J Batt had courage to make this game a reality, while Troy Dannen cowered away from it.
Tennessee's home-and-home vs. Georgia Tech is better than Nebraska
To be totally honest, I would much rather watch these games between the Vols and Jackets than what could have been between UTK and the Huskers. Tennessee is back to being great under Josh Heupel. Brent Key is making his alma mater look as menacing at times as the Jackets were under his mentor George O'Leary back in the late 1990s. Frankly, Georgia Tech could probably use the money...
For as much as Nebraska prides itself on athletics, Georgia Tech is mostly about academics. It is one of the hardest schools to stay in, with no easy major to be had. This has had negative consequences when it comes to its athletic department, but prying Batt away from Alabama might be the best thing the Jackets have done in years from a competitive standpoint. Just look at Tennessee under White...
What this comes down to is your athletic department can only be as good as the person who leads it. Boosters come and go, and so does the cash that comes from such financial attachments. It is when you have the right leadership in place at the helm of your department when all of your programs flourish. We have seen the effects of Tennessee hiring White. We are starting to see that with Batt.
As for Dannen, it was not that long ago that he was the athletic director for the Tulane Green Wave.