The Tennessee Volunteers and Western Michigan Broncos have rescheduled their football game that was set for the 2026 season, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Tennessee was previously scheduled to host Western Michigan at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 19, 2026, which was announced back in 2022. The Volunteers were to pay the Broncos a $1.2 million guarantee for the game, according to the copy of the original contract.
Per a copy of a new contract obtained from Western Michigan University via a public records request, the game against Tennessee has been rescheduled and will now be played one season later on Sept. 18, 2027.
The new contract supersedes and replaces the first contract between the two schools. The contract also states that Tennessee will pay Western Michigan a $1.2 million guarantee for the game in 2027, which is the same amount as the previous contract.
Tennessee and Western Michigan have never met on the gridiron in their history.
With the change, Tennessee now has two opponents set for both its 2026 and 2027 non-conference schedules. The Volunteers are scheduled to open the 2026 season at home against the Furman Paladins on Sept. 5 before traveling to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sept. 12.
In 2027, Tennessee is scheduled to host Nebraska at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 11, which is Week 2 that season, before welcoming Western Michigan to Knoxville the following week on Sept. 18.
It’s been long rumored that the SEC will move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026. If that holds true, the Volunteers would need only one additional non-conference opponent in 2026 and 2027.
Earlier on Wednesday, we reported that Western Michigan added three future home-and-home series to its future football schedules. Two of the opponents were for the 2026 season, which, coupled with the rescheduling of the Tennessee game, tentatively completes WMU’s slate.
The Broncos are scheduled to open the 2026 season on the road at the Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 5 before hosting the Monmouth Hawks at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Sept. 12. Newly scheduled contests include the Rice Owls on the road on Sept. 19 and the Boise State Broncos at home on Sept. 26.
Football Schedules
My dream SEC MAC game would be Georgia & Miami(OH).