Tennessee
What guaranteed admission to University of Tennessee? You now need a test score (and more)
University of Tennessee Knoxville parking: Walk or drive to campus?
Tennessee Volunteers say parking is tough this semester. We experimented to see if it’s faster to walk to campus or drive and look for parking.
The University of Tennessee System has standardized its language across all campuses to include standardized test scores in its guaranteed admissions requirements for top-performing high school seniors.
The biggest change to the guaranteed admissions policy, which is less than one year old, most applies to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The flagship campus previously did not require an ACT or SAT score for guaranteed admission. UT Chattanooga, UT Martin and UT Southern did.
The ACT and SAT score requirements, which vary between universities, are in addition to requirements related to student performance and class standing.
Previously, UT Knoxville only required a 4.0 cumulative GPA or that students finish in the top 10% of their class for guaranteed admission. Other campuses had their own requirements, including a lower GPA benchmark and an ACT score.
Here’s how the new policy, approved at the UT System Board of Trustees meeting June 25, will work for students applying for fall 2025:
For UT Knoxville
- Students must get either a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) or finish in the top 10% of their high school graduating class.
- And students need a 24 ACT composite score (or an SAT score of 1160-1190 or higher).
For UT Chattanooga, UT Martin and UT Southern:
- Students must get either at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA or finish in the top 10% of their high school graduating class.
- And students need a 23 ACT composite score (or an SAT score of 1130-1150 or higher).
The original guaranteed admissions policy was approved in September 2023 as a way to give top-earning high schoolers in Tennessee the opportunity to receive early admission to any UT campus across the state.
Why the University of Tennessee changed the guaranteed admissions policy
Only 30% of Tennessee high schools reported class ranking data to UT for the high school graduating class of 2024, according to UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman. That’s just 226 of 740 high schools.
The original guaranteed admissions policy also was challenged by the lower requirements from UT Martin, UT Chattanooga and UT Southern. Their policies, which required a 3.2 GPA and 23 ACT composite score, were so close to standard admission criteria that prospective students were worried no guaranteed admission would mean no admission at all, according to Bernie Savarese, vice president for academic affairs, research and student success for the UT System.
When the UT System Board of Trustees kicked off its annual meeting June 24, Savarese presented a different version of the proposed changes that would have made 4.0 the required GPA for all campuses. The top 10% criteria also would have been dropped.
But because the guaranteed admissions policy is so new, the board was hesitant to make such drastic changes. The policy needs more time for data to accrue before it can be reevaluated at a higher level, trustee Jamie Woodson said during the meeting.
Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing to knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Tennessee football will host Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh and possibly Arch Manning at Neyland Stadium in the 2026 season.
UT’s opponents for the next four seasons were previously announced. On Dec. 11, the SEC released the dates of every conference game, providing the full picture of the 2026 schedule.
Game times and television designations will be announced later.
Texas will make its first trip ever to Tennessee on Sept. 26. Manning, the Longhorns quarterback, is expected to return for the 2026 season rather than enter the NFL draft. If so, he’ll face the Vols on the home turf of his uncle, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.
Golesh, the former UT offensive coordinator, is Auburn’s new coach. He will return to Knoxville for an Oct. 3 game.
Alabama will play at Tennessee on Oct. 17, continuing their Third Saturday in October rivalry game.
Kiffin, the polarizing former UT coach, is now coaching LSU after bolting Ole Miss after the regular season ended. He will return to Knoxville for a Nov. 21 game. Three of the five SEC teams visiting Neyland Stadium will have a first-year coach, including Kentucky’s Will Stein on Nov. 7.
Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as annual SEC opponents in the league’s new nine-game conference schedule. Its other six opponents will rotate each season. That means each school will play every SEC opponent home and away every four years.
Tennessee will have one open week on Oct. 31 and thus won’t play on Halloween.
Here is Tennessee’s week-to-week schedule for the 2026 season.
Tennessee football 2026 schedule
- Sept. 5: Furman
- Sept. 12: At Georgia Tech
- Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
- Sept. 26: Texas*
- Oct. 3: Auburn*
- Oct. 10: At Arkansas*
- Oct. 17: Alabama*
- Oct. 24: At South Carolina*
- Oct. 31: Open
- Nov. 7: Kentucky*
- Nov. 14: At Texas A&M*
- Nov. 21: LSU*
- Nov. 28: At Vanderbilt*
*SEC game
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Tennessee announced the signing of graduate student Dragos Cazacu on Wednesday. He is from Constanta, Romania.
“Dragos is someone we believe can translate all of his professional experience and success seamlessly to high level college tennis,” Tennessee associate head coach Matt Lucas said. “He’s a very mature young man who has finished university in Romania, so we know the type of student athlete we are getting. Winning ITF Pro Circuit titles, all while doing his degree back home shows he will transition nicely to Tennessee in January.”
Cazacu competed on the ATP Tour prior to Tennessee. His highest ranking was No. 763 in singles and No. 495 in doubles.
Tennessee will begin its spring men’s tennis season versus ETSU on Jan. 9, 2026 at Goodfriend Tennis Center. SEC competition will begin Feb. 21, 2026 at Kentucky.
The Vols’ home opener in SEC play is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2026 versus Auburn at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy announced Wednesday that he will enter the 2026 NFL Draft. McCoy is a potential top-10 pick in this draft class, despite having missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury.
A transfer from Oregon State following the 2023 season, McCoy earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors following his first season at Tennessee, in which he registered four interceptions, nine pass breakups and 44 tackles. However, McCoy suffered an ACL injury in January and did not take the field during the Volunteers’ regular season.
“(E)ven though my time on the field was cut short,” McCoy wrote in a statement shared on social media, “I will forever be grateful for my time here at the University of Tennessee. It has been a true honor, and I’m appreciative for every moment I had in the orange and white.”
McCoy (6 feet, 195 pounds) will be one of the most closely scrutinized prospects during the pre-draft cycle, as interested teams wait to see what his updated medical reports reveal.
The junior ranked No. 9 (and as the No. 1 cornerback) on Dane Brugler’s most recent draft board. He was the 16th pick, by Dallas, in Brugler’s mock draft last week.
Dane Brugler’s immediate reaction
A prospect carrying first-round tape from 2024 but no tape from 2025 is not ideal. That said, McCoy will be more than a year removed from his ACL injury when NFL team doctors examine his knee at the combine in February 2026, to (hopefully) verify full health and no long-term concerns.
The timing of his injury could turn out to be something of a positive, because McCoy should be able to work out and test at some point before the draft, giving him a chance to remind teams why he was considered a potential top-10 pick after last season.
LSU’s Mansoor Delane closed ground with his senior season — he’s made a strong case to be CB1 in this class. But McCoy is very much still in that conversation, assuming the medicals come back clean.
HOW DID HE COME UP WITH THIS? 😲
Tennessee shuts down Vandy in the end zone ❌ pic.twitter.com/aUHZeAWC8i
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 30, 2024
Nick Baumgardner’s scouting report
McCoy was in a really tough spot. A case certainly could’ve been made for McCoy to return to college next year, as he’s played only one full season as a starter in the SEC. And though his 2024 season was pretty great, that performance and 400 or so snaps at Oregon State are all we have to go on here.
Physically, though, McCoy is everything you look for in a high-first-round cornerback. He’s big with very quick feet, natural instincts and terrific ball skills in coverage. Despite not playing a snap this season, McCoy still stacks up as an easy first-rounder on this year’s board, largely because of his physical potential.
Testing will be critical here, and I’m eager to see if McCoy is healthy enough to compete in either the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl. He should do as much as he can. We saw a talented player in a similar situation last year when now-Cardinals rookie corner Will Johnson tumbled down the board after not testing or taking part in anything physical during the pre-draft process.
Opinion | America’s Military Needs a Culture Shift
YouTube made its video player easier to navigate on TVs
Israeli official issues stark warning after chilling Syrian military war chants surface
Kilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin
Relationship coach blames Oprah for pushing family estrangement ‘for decades’
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Kilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin
Israel bombards areas across southern Lebanon in latest truce violation
Trump announces pardon for Tina Peters, increasing pressure to free her though he can’t erase state charges | CNN Politics
Video: Hiker Rescued From Quicksand in Arches National Park
The Speaker’s Lobby: What Congress’ December script means for healthcare next year
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics1 week agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio1 week agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Texas6 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
News1 week agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World1 week agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Washington3 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire