'Checker Neyland' set for No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Georgia on Saturday

Tennessee Football’s ‘Checker Neyland’ game is set for Saturday when the 15th-ranked Vols host No. 6 Georgia in the SEC opener at Neyland Stadium. The Vols announced game designations for the 2025 season in May. 

Kickoff between Tennessee (2-0) and Georgia (2-0) is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC. Tennessee fans can find their designated color — set by section, row and seat number — by visiting checkertn.com.

The Vols beat Syracuse 45-26 in Week 1 and beat ETSU 72-17 on Saturday. Georgia beat Marshall 45-7 to open the season at Sanford Stadium in Athens on August 30 and beat Austin Peay 28-6 at home on Saturday.

ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Knoxville for Tennessee-Georgia

ESPN announced on Saturday night that College GameDay will be headed to Knoxville to broadcast live Saturday morning ahead of the Tennessee-Georgia showdown at Neyland Stadium. 

The show will originate from the lawn in front of Ayres Hall on The Hill. 

College GameDay has been to Knoxville two other times during the Josh Heupel era, for the wins over Florida and Georgia during the 2022 season. 

GameDay has been on location for Tennessee games — either at home, on the road or at neutral sites — nine times.

Last season GameDay was in Norman for Tennessee’s SEC opener at Oklahoma, as the Sooners made their debut as an SEC team. The show was also at the Battle at Bristol in 2016.

GameDay was in Knoxville for the first time in 1999, when Tennessee hosted Notre Dame. The show made later trips to Tennessee’s campus for the Florida game in 2002 and the Florida game in 2012. 

Vols honoring John Henderson during Hall of Fame Salute weekend

The Georgia weekend will also be the John Henderson Hall of Fame Salute weekend, celebrating the former Tennessee defensive lineman’s induction into the College Football hall of Fame in the 2025 class.

Henderson in three seasons at Tennessee had 165 total tackles — 118 solo, 47 assists — and had 19.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. He batted down eight passes, recovered six fumbles and forced three more fumbles. 

He had a career year in 2000, finishing with 71 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 12 games. 

Henderson was the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played 146 games in the league, finishing with 492 tackles, 60 tackles for loss and 29 sacks.

Other game designations announced in May were Champions Weekend, October 11 against Arkansas, Homecoming and Salute to Service against New Mexico State on November 15 and Senior Day against Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale on November 29.