Tennessee
ESPN moves Tennessee back into College Football Playoff, gives Vols return trip to Georgia
Losses on Saturday by Indiana, Alabama and Ole Miss moved Tennessee up to No. 8 in ESPN’s new projected College Football Playoff rankings. The projection had the Vols as the No. 9 seed in the 12-team bracket, making a return trip to No. 8 Georgia in the first round of the playoffs.
The other first-round matchups were No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Ohio State, No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Penn State and No. 10 SMU at No. 7 Notre Dame. Oregon was ranked No. 1 and seeded first by ESPN’s Heather Dinich.
“As long as Tennessee doesn’t lose at Vanderbilt on Saturday — and that’s hardly a guarantee — the Vols should be in the committee’s top 12 on Selection Day,” Dinich wrote, “now that Ole Miss played itself out.”
ESPN keeps Alabama at No. 12 in playoff rankings despite third loss
The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its new rankings and bracket projection Tuesday night. The official bracket will be announced on December 8.
ESPN on Saturday night had Ohio State ranked No. 2 and seeded fifth. Texas was ranked No. 3 and seeded second as the presumed SEC champion. Miami was ranked No. 6 and seeded third as the projected ACC champ and Boise State was ranked No. 10 and seeded fourth as the projected Mountain West champs.
Alabama stayed in the top 12 at No. 12 in the ESPN rankings, but was bumped out of the bracket by Arizona State, which was ranked No. 17 but would be in the field as the projected Big 12 champion.
“Alabama needs help even if it is still in the top 12 on Tuesday night,” Dinich wrote, “because the Tide would be bumped out for the Big 12 champion in this scenario. Alabama needs to beat rival Auburn and hope there is more fallout above them.”
ESPN dropped Indiana to No. 11 in its rankings. Just outside the top 12 was No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 South Carolina, No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 16 Clemson. BYU dropped to No. 18 after its loss at Arizona State and Colorado dropped to No. 20 after its loss at Kansas.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt, Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC) beat UTEP 56-0 on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon and now goes to Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4) this week in the regular-season finale.
Indiana lost 38-15 at Ohio State, Ole Miss lost 24-17 at Florida and Alabama lost 24-3 at Oklahoma. Texas A&M also lost at Auburn for its second SEC loss.
The Tennessee-Georgia winner in the ESPN projection would advance to face No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Georgia can play its way out of the first round by winning the SEC Championship game. Georgia has clinched a spot in Atlanta and will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Texas and Texas A&M.
“The Vols got some help on Saturday,” Dinich wrote. “With Ole Miss and Indiana both losing, Tennessee should move up by default — not because it hammered UTEP 56-0.
“The head-to-head loss to Georgia will keep them behind the Bulldogs, which makes putting them ahead of Alabama difficult for the committee in spite of the win against the Tide.”
The History of Earth Day
A comprehensive look at the evolution of Earth Day from its 1970 origins to a global environmental movement.
Earth Day, the annual event which promotes environmental protection and awareness, is this week.
Celebrating its 56th year, this year’s Earth Day theme is “Our Power, Our Planet,” which stresses the importance of communities, educators, workers and families working together toward environmental progress.
“‘Our Power, Our Planet’ is not a political statement. It is a commitment to stewardship, resilience, and shared accountability — a call for every individual, community, and sector to exercise their power in service of the planet we all depend on,” reads the 2026 manifesto.
To celebrate Earth Day 2026, the Tennessee State Parks system will be offering educational, recreational and volunteer events across the state.
Here’s what to know.
When is Earth Day 2026?
Earth Day is April 22.
According to Earthday.org, the movement’s founders — inspired by the student anti‑war protests of the 1960s and 1970s — chose a weekday falling between Spring Break and final exams to maximize the greatest student participation.
Why is Earth Day celebrated?
The history of Earth Day dates back to 1962 with Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestselling book, “Silent Spring” which raised awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and the links between pollution and public health.
U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, was concerned about worsening environmental conditions and galvanized by the massive 1969 oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara. He launched the idea that would become Earth Day.
Nelson partnered with Republican U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey and activist Denis Hayes to organize nationwide teach‑ins on April 22, expanding the effort beyond college campuses and rebranding it as Earth Day, an event that quickly gained national media attention and widespread public participation.
Tennessee State Parks system celebrates Earth Day 2026
Here’s a look at events planned by region, happening on and around April 22.
West Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
East Tennessee:
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Big hearts, small hands! Tennessee kids are stepping up to make a big difference this summer.
First Lady Maria Lee on Tuesday announced the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, encouraging young students to dedicate part of their summer to helping others.
The program, part of the Tennessee Serves initiative, runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders across the state.
Participants must complete at least two hours of service across two of eight designated categories to finish the challenge, with top participants earning an invitation to a September carnival at the Tennessee Residence.
Since its launch in 2019, more than 3,500 children have contributed over 15,000 hours of service through activities ranging from park cleanups to assisting nursing homes and raising funds for disaster relief.
Registration opened Tuesday, with parents and guardians able to sign up participants and access additional details through the First Lady’s official website.
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