The Tennessee Volunteers have replaced a previously announced non-conference game on their 2022 football schedule, according to their 2022 schedule release on Tuesday.
Tennessee was originally scheduled to host the Army Black Knights at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Per the terms of the contract, the Volunteers were to pay the Black Knights a $1.4 million guarantee for the game.
However, the Tennessee-Army game has now been canceled and has been replaced with a home contest against the Akron Zips of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Tennessee will pay Akron a $1 million guarantee for their contest on the same date (Sept. 17), according to a copy of the contract posted on the official athletics website of the University of Tennessee.
Per the terms of the Tennessee-Army contract, the Volunteers will have to pay the Black Knights a $500,000 fee for canceling the game.
Shortly after Akron was revealed as an opponent of Tennessee in 2022, Knox News reported that the school began the process of canceling the Army game under former UT athletics director Phillip Fulmer and former head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Tennessee is scheduled to open the 2022 season at home against Ball State on Sept. 3 before traveling to face Pitt on Sept. 10. The fourth and final non-conference game for UT in 2022 is UT Martin at home on Oct. 22.
Akron has now completed their non-conference schedule in 2022 with the addition of Tennessee. The Zips are scheduled to open the season at home against Saint Francis U. on Sept. 3 and will also travel to play Michigan State on Sept. 10 and Liberty on Sept. 24.
As for Army, the Black Knights are now in need of one game to complete their 2022 schedule. Among the teams with a non-conference opening include Kansas, Duke, Miami, Virginia, Rutgers, Middle Tennessee, UAB, Kent State, Central Michigan, BYU, and Notre Dame.
Football Schedules