Georgia Tech football has a new season-opening opponent in 2027

Georgia Tech football’s 2027 season will kick off with a marquee matchup.

The Yellow Jackets will play Tennessee in Knoxville in Week 1, the season opener for both teams. The game originally was scheduled for mid-September.

The matchup is expected to be featured on ESPN networks, similar to this year’s Jackets season opener against Colorado.

Tennessee defeated Tech 45-24 earlier this month at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The meeting revived a once fierce rivalry that has been mostly dormant since the late 1980s. Tech-Tennessee had met just once, a Volunteers victory in 2017, since ending the annual series in 1987.

“I don’t get into the scheduling part of it,” Tech coach Brent Key said before the Jackets played the Volunteers. “That’s for other people to talk about and a conversation for them.”

Tech announced earlier this month it would no longer play Notre Dame in 2027.

The trip to South Bend, Indiana, was replaced by a ninth ACC game as part of the conference’s new scheduling model, introduced this year. Twelve teams are playing nine conference games, while five are playing eight.

Part of the ACC’s push was to ensure every team plays a minimum of 10 Power 4 opponents each season.

Next season, Tech’s ACC schedule includes home games against Pitt, Virginia Tech, California and Virginia.