Where Tennessee Football is ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25

Tennessee Football was ranked No. 24 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 on Monday afternoon. The Vols finished at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 last season, after going 10-3 and losing in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Texas is the preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25, ahead of No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson and No. 5 Georgia. The rest of the top ten is No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Miami.

Other SEC teams that are ranked are No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 21 Ole Miss.

The preseason LBM Coaches Poll, which was released last Monday, had Tennessee at No. 18. The Vols received 492 points in the poll, coming in just behind No. 17 Florida, which received 498 points.

Texas is the preseason No. 1 in the Coaches Poll, ahead of No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Notre Dame. Rounding out the top 10 is No. 6 Clemson, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Miami.

Also ranked ahead of the Vols are No. 11 Arizona State, No. 12 Illinois, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 14 Michigan and No. 15 Ole Miss.

The Vols finished at No. 8 in the Coaches Poll last season, after going 10-3 with a loss at Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Vols ranked No. 10 in ESPN’s Football Power Index

On3’s Brett McMurphy on Monday published his AP Top 25 ballot, with Tennessee coming in at No. 19. McMurphy has Georgia at No. 1, ahead of No. 5 Alabama, No. 15 Florida and No. 18 Oklahoma.

Tennessee is not ranked in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early top 25, but the Vols are ranked 13th in ESPN’s updated SP+ projections. The Vols are ranked No. 7 on defense, No. 21 on special teams and No. 34 on offense in SP+ grades. 

ESPN’s first Football Power Index has Tennessee ranked No. 10.. According to the FPI, the Vols have a 97.5% chance to win six or more games, a 4.2% to win the SEC and 38.5% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. 

A closer look at Tennessee’s 2025 schedule

Tennessee opens the season against Syracuse in Atlanta on August 30, in a Noon Eastern Time start on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Aflac Kickoff Game. The Vols host ETSU in the home opener at Neyland Stadium on September 6 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+/ESPN+) and then open SEC play at home against Georgia on September 13 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

UAB comes to Knoxville on September 20 (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) and the Vols go to Mississippi State on September 27 in the first SEC road game of the season. After an open date on October 4, the Vols host Arkansas (October 11) then go to Alabama (October 18) and Kentucky (October 25). 

In November the Vols host Oklahoma (November 1) and New Mexico State (November 15), go to Florida (November 22) and close the regular-season schedule at home against Vanderbilt (November 29).