Kickoff times and TV networks set for first three Tennessee football games

The first three Tennessee football games are officially set on the television schedule. It was announced a couple of weeks ago that the Volunteers would open with Bowling Green on Thursday, September 2nd. Now the next two games have kickoff times and television designations.

Tennessee’s week two matchup against Pittsburgh will be a noon kick on ESPN on September 11th. The week three game against Tennessee Tech will also be a noon kick, streamed only on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.

The remainder of the schedule will be announced in season, two weeks beforehand.

The most notable matchup of these three games is clearly Pittsburgh, who is set to meet Tennessee for the first time since 1983. The Panthers went 6-5 last season, and return senior quarterback Kenny Pickett this season. It should be a stiff test for Josh Heupel’s year one squad — a game that we’ll likely learn quite a bit from.

Beyond these first three games, the SEC gauntlet begins. Tennessee will travel to Florida in week four, and then to Missouri after that. Fascinating home matchups against South Carolina and Ole Miss follow that, and then the Vols will head to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama ahead of an open date. Kentucky, Georgia, South Alabama and Vanderbilt will close the 2021 season.