The 2025 football season just ended, so why not get excited for the unofficial start of the 2026 season? The Spring game is always a great appetizer going into the summer; it's a great opportunity to see where the freshmen stack up, how the new transfers look, and see which players have added another level to their game.
Top 3 transfer additions for Tennessee football this offseason
Today, Tennessee announced that the Orange and White spring game will take place on April 11th at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Plus, admission is free, so Vols fans can show up without paying a dime to see some football and enjoy one of the best stadiums in the sport.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ! ๐งโฌ๏ธ
โ Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) February 3, 2026
๐ Orange & White Game
๐๏ธ April 11
๐ Neyland Stadium
๐ Free Admission
Details ยป https://t.co/MBEC1vqugM#GBO ๐ pic.twitter.com/Qvq9vs82I7
The exciting part about the spring game is that there is no more Transfer Portal, so coaches will not have to worry about other programs tampering with breakout players. This has been an issue for the past few years, but no coaches no longer have anything to hide because the portal is no longer open, so tampering effectively does nothing.
This spring will prove to be an important one with Tennessee completely revamping the roster over the winter.
What to watch for during the Tennessee spring game
The obvious answer is the quarterback competition, as we still don't know if Joey Aguilar will be back next fall. If not, it will be George MacIntyre versus Faizon Brandon for the QB1 spot. All eyes will be on each young quarterback, overanalyzing every throw during the game, seeing who has the upper hand going into the summer.
Maybe fans forgot, but the Vols have a new defensive coordinator as well. Jim Knowles will be interesting to watch, both in how he connects with the players and how much the defense improves in such a short time.
Beyond that, everyone will be curious to see how the freshmen look, as it's the first time we get to see them in live reps versus SEC-level talent.
We're still a few months away, but it's nice to get some football news and have something to look forward to, as the 2026 campaign is a make-or-break year for Josh Heupel.