Tennessee football finds new opponent to fill gap left by Matt Rhule's Nebraska

Tennessee Volunteers were in a bind after Matt Rhule’s Nebraska canceled the planned home-and-home series for 2026 and 2027. The Cornhuskers instead paid a buyout fee in February. This cancellation was an issue for Tennessee athletic director Danny White, who now had to find new teams to fill those open slots.

Luckily, Tennessee has found a replacement in Georgia Tech. The Vols will play the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta in 2026 and then host the program at Neyland Stadium in 2027. This new matchup gives Tennessee another game against a team from a Power Four conference, which was a difficult find after the Cornhuskers exited.

“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,” White said. “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!”

The first game will be in Atlanta on Sept. 12, 2026, with the return game scheduled for Sept. 11, 2027, in Knoxville.

“As we continue to invest in and elevate Georgia Tech football, securing elite-level competition is a critical component,” Batt said. “We’re thrilled to renew our rivalry with Tennessee and look forward to the matchups in Atlanta and Knoxville. I’m confident that our passionate Tech fans will embrace this series!”

Tennessee Volunteers are ahead in the all-time series against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with a 25-17-2 record. The last time they played was in 2017 when the Vols won 42-41 in double overtime in Atlanta.

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Nebraska had to pay hefty fee for cancelling series with Tennessee

It cost them when the Nebraska Cornhuskers canceled their series with the Tennessee Volunteers. The program was charged a $1 million buyout, with each game costing $500,000. The series was supposed to start with Nebraska hosting Tennessee in 2026, then the Vols hosting the Cornhuskers in 2027.

The Huskers canceled the games because they wanted eight home games in 2027 while their stadium was renovated.

Even though it cost the program a lot, Matt Rhule's team decided it was worth it. Danny White made it known that the cancellation was Nebraska’s choice, tweeting in February:

“We are very disappointed that they didn’t want to play these games, especially this close to 2026.”

While the buyout was sorted, the situation turned out to be a disappointment, especially since the two teams have played each other three times, with the Tennessee Volunteers winning the last game in the 2016 Music City Bowl.