2025 will mark Tennessee’s fifth football season under head coach Josh Heupel. Since 2021, he has worked with VOL for a record of 37-15 (20-12 seconds).
Tennessee held a spring football match at Neyland Stadium on April 12. After VOLS's spring game, the NCAA transfer portal is open from April 16 to 25.
Tennessee added Otani State defensive winger Josh Schell, UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar and Colorado defensive back Colton Hood.
Wide receiver Dayton Sneed (North Carolina), quarterback Nico Iamaleava (UCLA), defender back John Slaughter (Colorado), defender back Christian Charles (Virginia), offensive lineman Ayden Bussell (West Virginia), offensive lineman Larry Johnson III (Colorado) and defender back Jakobe Thomas (Miami) transferred from the Vols during the spring window.
Vols Wire offers Tennessee game predictions in 2025 after the Orange and White Games and Spring Transfer Portal ends. VolsWire correctly predicted the 2021, 2022 and 2024 regular season champion records under Heupel. VOLS’ final 2025 defeat record forecast will be released in fall training camp.
Syracuse Orange
Tennessee will start the 2025 season against Syracuse in a neutral live game. Tennessee led 3-0, last time playing Orange in 2001.
Prediction: w
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
Date: August 30
East Tennessee Pirates
The two state schools will compete for the second time, with the first meeting in 2018 going to win a 59-3 victory at Neyland Stadium.
Prediction: w
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: September 6
Georgia Bulldog
Georgia won eight games in a row against Tennessee. The final victory of the series was in 2016. The longest winning streak in the series was Tennessee's nine games in 1989-99.
Prediction: l
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: September 13
UAB blazer
Tennessee has been leading the UAB series 5-0. Vols and the Trail Blazers played two single-player games in the Series (2005, 2010).
Prediction: w
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: September 20
Mississippi Bulldog
Tennessee beat Mississippi State 33-14 in 2024 at Neyland Stadium. VOLS will compete at Mississippi State for the first time since 2012. Tennessee was led by then-coach Derek Dooley.
Prediction: w
Location: Davis Wade Stadium (Stuckville, Mississippi)
Date: September 27
Opening date
Date: October 4
Heupel in Tennessee's Open Date Competition:
November 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky)
October 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
October 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
October 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
November 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Arkansas razor
Tennessee suffered its first loss after a public date at Heupel, Arkansas in 2024. The razor last played at Neyland Stadium in 2015.
Prediction: w
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: October 11
Alabama crimson trend
Tennessee beat the crimson tide at Neyland Stadium in 2024. Tennessee's last victory in Alabama was in 2003. Heupel is Vols' head coach and the game against Alabama was 2-2.
Prediction: l
Location: Bryant-Danny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Date: October 18
Kentucky Wild Cats
Tennessee will play back-to-back road races with Alabama and Kentucky in 2025. Walls averaged 39.0 points per game in Kentucky in Heupel.
Prediction: w
Location: Kroger Field (Lexington, Kentucky)
Date: October 25
Oklahoma
Tennessee beat Heupel 25-15 in 2024 to return to Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners will play at Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2015.
Prediction: l
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: November 1st
Opening date
Date: November 8
Heupel in Tennessee's Open Date Competition:
November 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky)
October 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
October 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
October 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
November 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
New Mexico State Position
Tennessee and New Mexico will play for the first time in 2025. Led by first-year head coach Tony Sanchez, the Aggies played 3-9 (2-6 C-USA) in 2024.
Prediction: w
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: November 15
Florida crocodile
Tennessee beat the Gators 23-17 last season in overtime. Vols has not won the championship at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2003 under the then-in-charge coach Phillip Fulmer.
Prediction: l
Location: Benhill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, FL)
Date: November 22
Vanderbilt Commodores
Tennessee won six games in the In-State SEC Series. Vols stood out in the college football playoffs with a 36-23 victory at Vanderbilt in 2024.
Prediction: w
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: November 29
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