The University of Tennessee's football game against Texas will kick off at noon in Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will open at Alabama at 3:30 p.m., setting plans for fans in Chattanooga and across East Tennessee as the 2026 schedule takes shape.

The Southeastern Conference announced the start time for Texas at Tennessee, while Tennessee's official football schedule lists the Longhorns game at noon. The Chattanooga Times Free Press also reported that UTC's game at Alabama is set for 3:30 p.m. For local viewers, that means two major in-state matchups now have confirmed windows for travel, tailgating and broadcast planning.

Tennessee vs. Texas gets an early start in Knoxville

The SEC said Texas will visit Tennessee for a noon kickoff. Tennessee's official schedule also lists the game on its 2026 football slate, and Texas includes the matchup on its own football schedule.

The conference's game-time announcement set Tennessee's home meeting with Texas for noon.

For Tennessee fans, the early kickoff is notable because it affects arrival times, parking and heat planning during the early part of the season. It also fixes a broadcast window for one of the most prominent home games on the Volunteers' schedule.

What is confirmed

  • Tennessee will host Texas in Knoxville.
  • Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
  • The game appears on both Tennessee's and Texas' official football schedules.

UTC's opener at Alabama is set for 3:30 p.m.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Chattanooga's game at Alabama will kick off at 3:30 p.m. That gives Mocs supporters a clearer picture for road travel to Tuscaloosa and for local watch parties closer to home.

UTC, known locally as the Mocs, is Chattanooga's Division I college football program. Alabama is one of the highest-profile programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision, making the opener one of the Mocs' most visible games of the season.

Why this matters in Chattanooga

  • Fans can now plan day trips or overnight travel for the Alabama game.
  • Local bars and restaurants that carry college football broadcasts can prepare for a mid-afternoon start.
  • Families following both UTC and Tennessee now know the two kickoff windows do not overlap exactly.

What the schedule says, and what it does not

Tennessee's official athletics site confirms the Texas game on the 2026 schedule, and the SEC's announcement confirms the noon kickoff. Texas' official athletics site also lists the Tennessee matchup on the Longhorns' 2026 football schedule.

The provided source material does not independently document the broader trend line on Tennessee's recent mix of day and night kickoffs beyond the reporting cited here, so this article is limited to the newly confirmed start times. Where official schedule pages and conference announcements align, those are treated as the source of record, consistent with our Source Transparency and Editorial Policy.

What fans should watch next

Additional television details, parking guidance and game-day operations information are typically released closer to kickoff by the host schools and their conferences. Fans traveling to Knoxville or Tuscaloosa should expect more information later from the schools' athletics departments.

If you spot a schedule change or official update affecting Chattanooga-area readers, you can reach the newsroom through our Contact Us page.

Reported by Source Text Link, University of Tennessee Athletics, Texas Longhorns Athletics, ESPN, Southeastern Conference, Chattanooga Times Free Press.