As one of college football's winningest teams, and a founding member of the SEC in 1933, Tennessee has developed several long and historic rivalries.

Despite the heated in-state rivalry with Auburn, former Alabama head coach Bear Bryant was more adamant about defeating his rivals to the north, the Tennessee Vols.

[5] Tennessee and Kentucky have played each other 118 times over 130 years, making it one of the oldest series in major college football.

It was rolled onto the field that year with the words "Ice Water" painted on it to avoid any outcries over a beer keg symbolizing a college rivalry during the Prohibition era.

Notably, Kentucky coach Bear Bryant opted for his team to reject wearing layers of clothes as he believed it slowed them down.

In 1926, UT president Nathan W. Dougherty instructed newly hired coach Robert Neyland to even the score with Vanderbilt.

Since the 1928 season, UT has dominated the rivalry, although Vanderbilt found more success in a stretch from 2012 to 2017, where the Commodores won 5 out of 7 games against the Vols.

Since the formation of the SEC Eastern Division in 1992, the Vols have had important rivalries with Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The Gators and Vols first met on the gridiron in 1916, and have competed in the same conference since Florida joined Tennessee in the now-defunct Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1912.

However, a true rivalry has developed only relatively recently due to infrequent match-ups in past decades; in the first 76 years (1916–1991), the two teams met just 21 times.

[37] Starting in 2005, Florida went on an 11-game win streak as Tennessee struggled under coaches Derek Dooley and Butch Jones.

The game did receive national interest again in 2016 and 2017, where both matchups featured ranked teams, with Tennessee ending Florida's steak in Knoxville in 2016.

[39] They were selected to meet in 2024 and 2025 as part of and SEC effort to protect current rivalries while determining a permanent scheduling model.

The Volunteers won at home against the Bulldogs in 1989, the last meeting between the two teams before the SEC split the conference into two divisions, and left Georgia with the series lead 10–9–2.

Notably the only recorded instance of fans rushing the field at Sanford Stadium came when #19 Georgia ended the streak, beating #21 Tennessee in 2000.

Tennessee brought more fireworks in the next year, beating the Bulldogs in Georgia by the score of 34–31, coming from behind to win on a hail mary pass as time expired.

[41] Like the Florida series, the future of the rivalry beyond 2025 is uncertain due to scheduling changes associated with the SEC's addition of Oklahoma and Texas.

[53] The 2013 meeting was notable, as a major Tennessee upset over #9 South Carolina cost the Gamecocks the SEC East and a chance to play their way into the National Championship.

[57] The series ended its annual meetings after the 2023 game due to changes in the SEC schedule caused by the conference's additions of Oklahoma and Texas.

Another notable upset came in 1985 SEC opener when unranked Tennessee held eventual Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson to just 80 rushing yards and defeated #1 Auburn 38–20.

[59] They are likely to meet more often as a result of SEC Expansion as the league's top two long-term models feature teams playing home and away games twice every four years.

The two schools are among college football's most historic programs all time and they hold a combined 10 national championships (Georgia Tech has 4, Tennessee with 6).

With the ACC's increase in conference games coming in 1988, Georgia Tech ended annual meetings with Auburn and Tennessee.

Part of the rivalry stemmed from legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd who played for Robert Neyland at Tennessee.

Tennessee is the 7th most played opponent for the Rebels behind Mississippi St, LSU, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tulane.

Similar to the Auburn–Tennessee rivalry, the SEC expansion in 1992 ended the yearly meetings as Tennessee and Ole Miss were placed in opposite divisions.

Each team had two permanent cross division opponents from 1992 to 2002, with the Vols getting Alabama and Arkansas, while Ole Miss drew Vanderbilt and Georgia.

Ole Miss subsequently defeated the Vols 38–0 and inspired the creation of a famous song called "The Ballad of Archie Who.

"[73] The Manning family again ignited the rivalry when Archie's son Peyton chose to attend Tennessee over Ole Miss.

In 1996, Manning faced a raucous Ole Miss crowd in Memphis in his first game against the Rebels, leading the Vols to a dominant 41–3 win.