Associated Press top 25 rankings were released Monday ahead of the 2026 college football season. Tennessee is ranked No. 20.
Ohio State is ranked No. 1 to start the season. No. 3 Georgia is highest-ranked team from the SEC, followed by No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 11 LSU, No. 13 Alabama, No. 20 Tennessee and No. 25 Missouri.
The Vols' season will kick off Sept. 5 versus Furman at Neyland Stadium. The season opener is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT and can be watched SEC Network+.
Tennessee will also host Kennesaw State, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU this season, while playing at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
2026 will mark the sixth season for the Vols with Josh Heupel as head coach. He has compiled a 45-20 record.
More: 2026 Tennessee football win percentage chances each game
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: AP Poll top 25 preseason rankings: Where Tennessee football ranks