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00:00We've got scheduling info for Tennessee's 2025 season, including when Checker Neyland is happening and what time the Vols kick off the campaign.
00:08Some Tennessee fans have not had a good reaction to it, but I'm going to tell you why you shouldn't be surprised.
00:14We'll do that next.
00:15Hey, Lucas Panzeca here from 104.5 The Zone and A to Z Sports.
00:18So we already knew that year five of the Josh Heupel era will kick off in Atlanta, a neutral site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Syracuse Orange.
00:26We now know officially the kickoff time for that matchup.
00:30It will be the early game in week one, 11 a.m. Central, 12 p.m. Eastern time in Atlanta.
00:37Now, some Tennessee fans naturally have seen this and they've been upset that it's not a primetime game, that the Vols got the early slate in week one.
00:45And I'm here to tell you it's not because of any favoritism or disrespect from ESPN or ABC.
00:51It is simply that there are better games with more high-profile matchups happening later on in the day.
00:59So Tennessee kicks off at 11 a.m. Central, noon Eastern.
01:02The afternoon game is going to be Alabama visiting Tallahassee to take on Florida State, 2.30 Central, 3.30 Eastern.
01:09And then the nightcap, primetime on ABC in week one, will be LSU going to Clemson in Death Valley, the other Death Valley, for a 6.30 Central, 7.30 Eastern kickoff.
01:21The fact is Alabama at Florida State is a matchup of bigger brands than Tennessee against Syracuse.
01:28Florida State, despite being dreadful, one of the worst teams in all of college football last year, are a much bigger draw than the Syracuse Orange, who are coming off a 10-win season and had a phenomenal campaign last year in the ACC.
01:42How Florida State turns things around under Mike Norvell after bottoming out in a year that followed an undefeated ACC-winning season is much more intriguing as they take on Alabama than anything the Syracuse Orange are doing.
01:56And that's just a fact.
01:57And then you have LSU going to Clemson.
02:00These are two teams that are going to have a lot of pressure on them.
02:03First of all, for LSU, the pressure is immense right now on Brian Kelly to elevate the Tigers to a national championship contender, which was absolutely the baseline expectation when he was hired.
02:15LSU hasn't exactly gotten close to those heights so far in the Brian Kelly era.
02:19Meanwhile, it's a Clemson team that absolutely has the talent profile and the quarterback in Cade Klubnik
02:25to be a dark horse contender for a national title.
02:28The meeting of the Tigers, one Death Valley team, heads to the other Death Valley at Clemson.
02:33That obviously has to be put in a prime time slot.
02:36So, Tennessee fans, it's nothing to do with the Tennessee Vols.
02:40It is simply the other matchups are going to be a bigger draw for a bigger television audience.
02:45And look, if you're me, I love the 11 a.m. kickoff.
02:48Would you like to see your team in prime time?
02:51Sure.
02:51But especially in week one, all the anticipation building in the offseason, that nervous, exciting tension that you get leading up to kickoff.
02:59I love getting it out of the way, kick that thing off at 11 a.m. and know what the result is by, let's say, 2 p.m. Central, 3 p.m. Central, 4 p.m. Eastern, whenever that game might wrap up.
03:11And that way, especially if Tennessee gets the win, you can just kick back and enjoy the football for the rest of the evening.
03:17So there you go.
03:17Tennessee kicking off the season at 11 a.m. Central, noon Eastern against Syracuse in Atlanta.
03:23The other scheduling note that Tennessee football officially announced this week, Checker Neeland.
03:27That is happening in week three, September 13th, against the Georgia Bulldogs at home.
03:34Now, the time for that game, the kickoff, is TBD.
03:37But that is certainly one that if Tennessee shows itself to be maybe better than many expect, a lot of that will be up to Joey Aguilar.
03:45If he does indeed win the quarterback job, then that is a game that could have a chance to be in that prime time ABC slot for a premier SEC matchup.
03:55But clearly, Tennessee is trying to foster the best home environment possible for the Georgia game.
04:00And this is a bit of a different move from Danny White, the athletic director at Tennessee.
04:05Typically, Tennessee in this era has not pulled out alternate uniforms or Checker Neeland for its biggest opponents.
04:13Typically, they do those things for the South Carolina game, the Kentucky game.
04:17That will give the team a little bit of juice, but maybe not mount that pressure against a team that's going to come in as the favorite.
04:24Georgia absolutely is going to come in as the favorite.
04:27They're once again expected to be a contender.
04:29Tennessee is going to Checker Neeland for that matchup.
04:32So there you go.
04:33The 2025 season will be here before we know it.
04:36How do you feel about Tennessee having an 11 a.m. kickoff against Syracuse and the Vols Checkering Neeland for the Georgia game?
04:42Let us know in the comments.
04:43Let us know in the comments.