KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee football team is ranked No. 24 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll released on Thursday, marking three straight years the Vols will open the season ranked by the coaches.
UT is one of only 10 teams to capture preseason rankings in the poll each of the last three seasons. It also marks the first time in nine years (2006-07-2008) the Vols have had a three-season stretch of preseason rankings from the coaches.
Tennessee opened the season ranked No. 25 by the coaches in 2015 and debuted at No. 10 in 2016. UT appeared in 11 of 16 polls conducted by the coaches a year ago.
Tennessee has won 15 of its last 19 games heading into the 2017 campaign and is coming off a second consecutive 9-4 record. The Vols have won three straight bowls for the first time in 20 years and are coming off three straight winning seasons for the first time in 12 years.
The Orange and White open the fall against Georgia Tech on Labor Day (Sept. 4) at 8 p.m. in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. The Vols and Yellow Jackets will clash in the second game ever played at the Atlanta Falcon’s brand-new, state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, following the tilt between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State on Sept. 2.
The Vols join five other SEC teams in the preseason Coaches Poll: No. 1 Alabama, No. 12 LSU, No. 13 Auburn, No. 15 Georgia and No. 16 Florida. Texas A&M, Arkansas and Mississippi State received votes in the poll.
UT is scheduled to face four of those ranked conference opponents in addition to Georgia Tech, who received votes in the preseason poll. The Vols face the 16th-ranked Gators in Gainesville on Sept. 16, welcome the 15th-ranked Bulldogs on Sept. 30, travel to face the preseason top-ranked Crimson Tide on Oct. 31 in Tuscaloosa and host the No. 12-ranked Tigers on Nov. 18.
Tennessee returns 14 starters in 2017, including senior tight Ethan Wolf and senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson, who are projected to be four-year starters for the Vols as well as 2015 First Team All-America kick returner Evan Berry, leading tackler senior Todd Kelly (71 stops in 2016) and second-leading rusher John Kelly (630 yards, 6.4 ypc, five TDs).
Vols in the Preseason Coaches Poll Since 2002 (Final Ranking)
2017: 24
2016: 10 (24)
2015: 25 (23)
2014: NR (NR)
2013: RV (NR)
2012: RV (NR)
2011: RV (NR)
2010: NR (NR)
2009: RV (NR)
2008: 18 (NR)
2007: 15 (12)
2006: 23 (23)
2005: 3 (NR)
2004: 14 (15)
2003: 16 (16)
2002: 5 (RV)
Preseason Coaches Poll – Last Three Seasons (2015, 2016, 2017)
Tennessee (25, 10, 24)
Ohio State (1, 5, 2)
Alabama (3,1,1)
Florida State (8, 4, 3)
Georgia (9, 16, 15)
Southern California (10, 17, 4)
Clemson (12, 2, 5)
LSU (13, 6, 12)
Oklahoma (19, 3, 8)
Stanford (21, 7, 14)
-UT Athletics
