KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 9/10 Tennessee begins its 120th season of football when it faces Appalachian State in one of the first games of college football’s opening weekend on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Volunteers vs. Mountaineers matchup will have a live broadcast on SEC Network and Vol Network radio, with an hour-long pregame SEC Nation pregame show taking place on the field.
The SEC Network broadcast will feature Brent Musberger (PxP) and Jesse Palmer (color analyst) calling the live game action, with Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines. Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate with Bob Kesling, Tim Priest, Brent Hubbs and Eddie Moore in the booth with John Brice on the sidelines.
Tickets for the game can be purchased online via AllVols.com.
The Vols and Mountaineers are meeting for the first time despite a distance of just 160 miles separating the two campuses.
Tennessee has won its last seven season openers, outscoring its opposition by an average of 35.9 points in that span. UT has also won 21 consecutive season openers played in the state of Tennessee.
Last season, the Vols opened the 2015 campaign with a 59-30 win over eventual MAC champions Bowling Green at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Head coach Butch Jones is 6-3 in his career in season openers with an average margin of victory of 15.3 points per game. Jones is also 5-0 when opening the season at home.
RARE THURSDAY ON ROCKY TOP
When it meets Appalachian State on Thursday night, Tennessee will be playing its first Thursday home opener in 120 years. The Vols are 25-20-7 all-time on Thursdays.
Vols’ Thursday Game History
- Last Thursday Game: vs. North Carolina (L, 27-30 2OT) — Dec. 30, 2010 (2010 Music City Bowl)
- Last Thursday Regular-Season Game: vs. ole miss (W, 41-3) – Oct. 3, 1996 (Neutral site game in Memphis, Tenn.)
- Last Thursday Season Opener: at Louisville (W, 28-11) – Sept. 5, 1991
- Last Thursday Home Game: vs. Kentucky (W, 46-0) – Nov. 24, 1938
- Last Thursday Home Opener: vs. Williamsburg Institute (W, 10-6) — Oct. 22, 1896 (Now University of the Cumberlands)
VOLS OPEN SEASON AT #9
Tennessee is ranked at No. 9 in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll, its highest preseason ranking since being third to begin the 2005 season.
This is the second-consecutive year the Volunteers have been ranked in the preseason poll, and is their 20th preseason Top-10 ranking by the AP.
It’s Tennessee’s first time cracking the Top 10 since the 2006 season, when it ranked as high as No. 7.
SCOUTING APPALACHIAN STATE
App State went 11-2 in 2015–its second season as an FBS member–and capped the year with a 31-29 win over Ohio in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. The Mountaineers is 17-2 over their last 19 games and 13-1 in Sun Belt play since the middle of the 2014 season–their first at the FBS level.
Like the Vols, App State is returning 17 starters from last season and is the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference. Their roster boasts both of the Sun Belt’s preseason players of the year with running back Marcus Cox and linebacker John Law earning the honors.
Tennessee is 8-0 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.