Report: Tennessee to pay non-conference opponent $1.8 million for 2026 game
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It appears Tennessee and UConn are finally going to stage a non-conference game after all.
According to a report from The Hartford Courant, the Volunteers have agreed to host the Huskies in 2026, making good on a deal the schools initially struck in 2008. That agreement called for a home-and-home series in 2015-16, but the programs ultimately decided to push those games back to an unspecified date.
This new deal features just the game at Neyland Stadium, which will costs Tennessee $1.8 million, according to the report.
Both teams have drastically overhauled themselves since the initial deal was signed a decade ago. In 2008, the Volunteers went 5-7 in Phil Fulmer’s final year before cycling through four different head coaches.
Randy Edsall-coached UConn, meanwhile, went 8-5 and was trending toward a Big East Championship and Fiesta Bowl bid in 2010. Now the Huskies reside in the American Athletic Conference, though Edsall returned to the school following a stint at Maryland.
Who knows what each program will look like when they finally play in 2026.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
