Alabama heads to Knoxville on Saturday, Oct. 17 for the Third Saturday in October. Neyland Stadium is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff, with the game on ABC, ESPN or SECN.
Two ranked teams
Alabama was 5-0 and ranked No. 6 in the Oct. 4 AP poll, 3-0 in the SEC under Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide beat East Carolina 48-10, won at Kentucky 45-17, topped Florida State 50-36 and South Carolina 49-18, and went to Mississippi State on Oct. 3 and won 56-23.
Tennessee was 4-1 and No. 15 in Josh Heupel's sixth season. The lone loss was a 20-17 decision to then-No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26. The Volunteers answered with a 24-14 win over Auburn on Oct. 3.
A rivalry named for a date
The game is called the Third Saturday in October because that is when it was traditionally played, right up until the SEC split into East and West divisions after the 1992 season. The first meeting came in 1901, a 6-6 tie in Birmingham, and Alabama has led the all-time series ever since. The last three meetings: Alabama 34-20 in 2023, Tennessee 24-17 in 2024 and Alabama 37-20 in 2025.
The tailgate
Vol Navy & Circle Park is the only tailgate that arrives by boat. Roughly two hundred craft tie up on the Tennessee River, and the party spills across the Neyland Drive docks and Circle Park.
Alabama fans have their own ritual back home. On Friday night, hundreds of tents go up on the University Quad in Tuscaloosa, north of Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the whole thing is full by dawn.
What to watch
Alabama arrives unbeaten and ranked in the top 10. Tennessee has one loss, to the then-No. 1 team in the country, and a series history that favors the visitors. Both teams have a lot to play for on Oct. 17.