College GameDay is heading to Knoxville, Tenn., for Week 4, as No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 1 Texas on Saturday at noon ET on ABC. ESPN's morning show will set up at Ayres Hall before moving inside Neyland Stadium ahead of kickoff.
It's a fitting stage for two unbeaten teams opening SEC play, as Arch Manning brings the nation's top-ranked team to Tennessee where his uncle Peyton became a campus legend. Below, we break down why College GameDay is headed to Knoxville and who the market expects to win on Saturday. You can also follow our 2026 College GameDay schedule for every confirmed stop on ESPN's tour around the country.
Where is College GameDay in Week 4?
College GameDay will broadcast from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 26 for the SEC showdown between Texas and Tennessee. ESPN announced the destination on Sunday, Sept. 20, before Tennessee officially confirmed the event details: GameDay will be hosted on the lawn of Ayres Hall for the first two hours followed by the final hour inside Neyland Stadium.
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Why is College GameDay going to Knoxville?
After some of the other potential top-15 matchups lost their luster with Oregon, LSU, and Texas A&M all losing within the last two weeks, it's easy to see the on-field appeal with Texas and Tennessee. Both teams enter their SEC opener with an undefeated record: Texas authored that epic comeback over Ohio State before dispatching UTSA last week, while Tennessee is coming off a blowout win over Kennesaw State behind standout freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon and a dominant run game.
There's plenty of history with this weekend's matchup, too. This is Texas' first trip to Neyland Stadium and the schools' first meeting since the 1969 Cotton Bowl. All three previous meetings came in that bowl game, so Saturday's meeting in Knoxville finally brings the two orange-clad programs together on a college campus.
Then there's the Manning connection. Arch gets his first road start of the season at his uncle Peyton's alma mater against a young quarterback in Brandon who is looking to make his own statement at home against the No. 1 team in the country.
College GameDay history at Tennessee
Saturday will mark College GameDay's 13th visit to Knoxville. The most recent came last September, when Tennessee pushed Georgia to overtime before falling 44-41. The Vols won the three home GameDay games before that, including their memorable 52-49 victory over Alabama in 2022.
Here are the five most recent completed College GameDay visits to Knoxville:
| Date | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 13, 2025 |  Georgia at  Tennessee |
Georgia 44, Tennessee 41 (OT) |
| Oct. 15, 2022 |  Alabama at Tennessee |
Tennessee 52, Alabama 49 |
| Sept. 24, 2022 |  Florida at Tennessee |
Tennessee 38, Florida 33 |
| Sept. 24, 2016 | Florida at Tennessee |
Tennessee 38, Florida 28 |
| Sept. 15, 2012 | Florida at Tennessee |
Florida 37, Tennessee 20 |
How to watch College GameDay Week 4
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
- Show time: 9 a.m. to noon ET
- TV: ESPN and ESPNU
- Location: Ayres Hall lawn from 9 to 11 a.m. ET; inside Neyland Stadium from 11 a.m. to noon ET
If you're planning to attend Texas vs. Tennessee on Saturday, the Volunteers are hosting their Checker Neyland game this weekend, so fans will need to use the school's Checker Neyland seat lookup to determine whether you should wear orange or white to the game.
Who is the College GameDay guest picker?
ESPN has not announced the Week 4 guest picker as of Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Who will win Texas vs. Tennessee?
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi. For help understanding Kalshi probabilities, see our odds calculator.
Texas is favored to beat Tennessee with a 66% chance to win outright according to the latest odds from the best prediction market apps ahead of Saturday's kickoff at noon ET.
Texas' path starts with making Tennessee defend the whole field. Manning has dangerous targets in Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, and Volunteers co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter has already called out the vertical passing game as a particular challenge for his secondary this week. Coleman caught both of Manning's touchdown passes against UTSA, and his downfield explosiveness could make it tough for Tennessee to bring extra help against the run on Saturday.
For the Vols, the best answer is to keep the freshman Brandon out of obvious passing situations. Tennessee rushed for 268 yards against Kennesaw State with Daune Morris tallying 116 of those yards and DeSean Bishop also finding the end zone. That's the foremost path to victory on Saturday against a tougher Texas front, but Brandon may need to use his legs to open up the Longhorns' defense and spark the GameDay upset.
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Texas vs. Tennessee expert picks and predictions
Where is College GameDay next week?
ESPN has not announced its destination for Week 5 on Saturday, Oct. 3. Follow our Week 5 College GameDay location tracker for the latest contenders and the games that could shape the decision.
Track every College GameDay stop in 2026
See the full College GameDay schedule, every confirmed campus location, and the latest Kalshi projections for where ESPN could head in future weeks.
