Tennessee’s orange-blooded Vols fans have a history of rivalries, some more notorious than others. We expect big college bets to be placed on these games now that sports betting is legal! Learn more about these high-stakes games and sporting traditions for Tennessee.
Tennessee Volunteers Football
It’s been over two decades since the glory years of Peyton Manning and Tee Martin, and most of today’s Vols were not even born yet when the team last won a national championship in 1998. That was also the last time Tennessee won its conference, the always competitive SEC. Still, the Volunteers have won 16 conference championships over the years, 13 in the SEC, and have a long, proud football history with 52 bowl appearances and 28 bowl victories, and both top-six all time.
But 1998 wasn’t Tennessee’s only national title. In fact, the Volunteers claim six national championships, with the others coming between 1938 and 1967. The orange and white seek a return to prominence under coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols play their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, the nation’s fifth-largest stadium. If you’re able to bet and attend a game in person this year, be sure to check the latest conference COVID-19 safety guidelines to prepare.
Tennessee Volunteers | Schedule | Roster
- Tennessee Volunteers Rivalry #1: vs. Alabama Crimson Tide. This annual SEC rivalry game is known by its iconic playing date: the “Third Saturday in October.” This rivalry rose to prominence when legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant made it a huge priority to beat the neighbors to the north. Alabama had dominated recently and leads the all-time series.
- Tennessee Volunteers Rivalry #2: vs. Florida Gators. These SEC foes have competed in the same conference since 1912 but met sparingly until 1992 when the SEC expanded and placed the Vols and Gators in the same division, making this an annual game. With both teams in the national title picture so often in the 90s, the rivalry quickly blossomed. Florida leads the all-time series.
Vanderbilt Commodores Football
The Commodores play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), so it’s an uphill battle each fall, but Vanderbilt is up to the task. The program is on its way up, with five of their nine bowl appearances coming in the past decade alone. Vanderbilt is 4-4-1 in its bowls and is coached by Derek Mason. The Dores do have two unclaimed national titles from a century ago in back-to-back unbeaten seasons in 1921-22.
Vanderbilt has played in a bowl game five times over the past decade, winning the Music City Bowl and the BBVA Compass Bowl. The Commodores play their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. However, for the 2020 season, in-person fan attendance at home games is not permitted during the pandemic.
Vanderbilt Commodores | Schedule | Roster
- Vanderbilt Commodores Rivalry #1: vs. Tennessee Volunteers. These in-state SEC rivals first played way back in 1892. Vanderbilt dominated this series early, winning 19 of the first 24. Tennessee leads the overall series 75-32-5, but Vanderbilt has won five of the last eight. This year, they play on November 28 in Nashville.
- Vanderbilt Commodores Rivalry #2: vs. Mississippi Rebels. These SEC founding members have battled on the gridiron since 1894, though Ole Miss did not beat Vandy until 1939. Yes, that makes 18 consecutive wins to start the rivalry. The Rebels are Vanderbilt’s second-longest continuous rivalry. Ole Miss leads the all-time series.
Memphis Tigers Football
The Tigers play in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and won the conference championship in 2019. That was Memphis’s eighth conference title. The Tigers have appeared in 13 bowl games, winning five of them. Their greatest bowl appearance came in January 2020 when the Tigers faced Penn State in the Cotton Bowl, with Memphis coming up short in a 53-39 loss. Ryan Silverfield coaches Memphis. The Tigers play their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis.
Memphis Tigers | Schedule | Roster
- Memphis Tigers Rivalry #1: vs. Louisville Cardinals. These regional rivals have met 43 times on the football field, with Memphis winning 19 of them. Memphis and Louisville are big-time rivals across every sport. The Tigers dominated the rivalry in the early years but have not won against Louisville since 2003. The rivals have played only four times since because of conference realignment.
- Memphis Tigers Rivalry #2: vs. Cincinnati Bearcats. These schools have played 36 times, with Memphis leading the all-time rivalry 23-13. They played twice in back-to-back weeks to conclude the 2019 season, with Memphis winning both times to secure its spot in the Cotton Bowl. These schools always seem to end up in the same conference. The AAC is the fifth conference the Tigers and Bearcats have played in together.
College Football Betting Resources
We’ve got a few recommended resources to help you bet on CFB in Tennessee:
Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball
The Volunteer basketball program has seen a rise to national prominence over the past couple of decades, first under coach Bruce Pearl and, since 2015, under Rick Barnes. In 2019, the Vols were a March Madness 2-seed for the third time in the past 15 years, but the program is still waiting for its first Final Four appearance in school history.
The Tennessee program has a long and storied history, featuring players like Bernard King and Allan Houston, and won its first SEC regular-season title in a decade in 2018. The Volunteers compete in the SEC, where they have the third most wins all time. The Volunteers play their home games at Thompson-Boling Arena on campus in Knoxville.
Tennessee Volunteers | Schedule | Roster
- Tennessee Volunteers Rivalry: vs. Kentucky Wildcats. Even though Kentucky has dominated this rivalry with Tennessee overall, the schools have played each other since 1910, and the Vols have more wins against the Wildcats than another team. The most notable matchup came in 1972 when Kentucky survived Tennessee on a late missed free throw to split the conference and still the Vols’ NCAA tournament berth.
Vanderbilt Commodores Men’s Basketball
Vanderbilt plays its home basketball games on the recognizable elevated stage of Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. The Commodores have three SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament championships, most recently in 2012. Vanderbilt has played in 15 NCAA tournaments with six Sweet Sixteen appearances but has yet to make it to the Final Four. Dores fans hope that will change soon under second-year head coach and former NBA star, Jerry Stackhouse.
Vanderbilt Commodores | Schedule | Roster
- Vanderbilt Commodores Rivalry #1: vs. Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee remains Vanderbilt’s biggest rival in every sport, though the Vols have dominated the men’s basketball rivalry of late. Vanderbilt has played Tennessee more than any opponent.
- Vanderbilt Commodores Rivalry #2: vs. Kentucky Wildcats. Vanderbilt’s second most common opponent is Kentucky, though the Wildcats have dominated the rivalry from the start. Vanderbilt has lost to Kentucky over 100 times. They’ve only ever lost 50 times to three other opponents.
Memphis Tigers Men’s Basketball
The Tigers have established themselves as one of the nation’s marquee men’s college basketball programs. Now playing in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Memphis has played in 11 Sweet Sixteens and three Final Fours. Their most recent Final Four appearance came in 2008 when Derrick Rose led the team to the national championship game before falling in overtime.
Tigers legend Penny Hardaway is the Memphis coach now and has already brought in some of the nation’s elite recruits. The Tigers are so popular that the team typically doesn’t even play its home games at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse on campus. Instead, they usually play at FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis Tigers | Schedule | Roster
- Memphis Tigers Rivalry #1: vs. Louisville Cardinals. These schools have played in four different conferences together, and Memphis has played Louisville more times than any other opponent. Louisville leads the all-time series, which began in 1949. They last met in December 2017 because of conference realignment.
- Memphis Tigers Rivalry #2: vs. Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats are Memphis’s second most frequent opponent, having played 81 times over the years. The most notable meeting came in the Elite 8 in 1992, when Penny Hardaway came up short to Nick Van Exel’s Bearcats for a spot in the Final Four, with Cincinnati blowing Memphis out by 31.
- Memphis Tigers Rivalry #3: vs. Tennessee Volunteers. Though these regional rivals have met only 27 times, the fierce rivalry between the programs has only intensified in recent years with Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and Tennessee coach Rick Barnes ramping things up of late.
Belmont Bruins Men’s Basketball
Belmont basketball has become synonymous with Cinderella over the past two decades. Belmont won its conference in 11 of the past 15 seasons, most of them under legendary head coach Rick Byrd. The Bruins secured their first-ever March Madness win in Byrd’s final season before he retired. Casey Alexander is the new coach now, and Belmont plays in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Bruins have eight NCAA Tournament appearances this century.
Belmont Bruins | Schedule | Roster
- Belmont Bruins Rivalry: vs. Lipscomb Bisons. This rivalry is known as the Battle of the Boulevard, with Lipscomb just three miles down the road from Belmont in Nashville. The teams play a home-and-home each season in the OVC.
Tennessee Lady Volunteers Women’s Basketball
The Lady Vols have long been one of the premier programs in women’s college basketball. The late great Pate Summitt led Tennessee from 1974 through 2012; still, the all-time leader in women’s college hoops with 1,098 career wins. The Lady Vols ranks second all-time with 18 Final Four appearances and eight national championships, all of them under Summitt.
Tennessee will forge forward under second-year coach Kellie Harper, a three-time champion for the Lady Vols in the 90s. Tennessee plays its home games at the Thompson-Boling Arena on campus in Knoxville, nicknamed “the Summitt” in honor of their legendary former coach.
Tennessee Lady Volunteers | Schedule | Roster
- Tennessee Lady Volunteers Rivalry: vs. Connecticut Huskies. This is the greatest rivalry in women’s basketball, with these two titans dominating the ranks. Connecticut has pulled ahead of late with 20 Final Fours and 11 national championships. UConn leads the series 13-9 and has won all four national title meetings. The teams will next meet on January 21, 2021, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.
College Basketball Betting Resources
We’ve got a few recommended resources to help you bet wisely on College Basketball:
We expect to see these major rivalries draw sports bettor attention and significant handle in Tennessee.
