The Georgia Bulldogs will open the 2026 season at home against the Tennessee State Tigers, according to a copy of the contract obtained and reported by FBSchedules.com.
Georgia will host Tennessee State at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Per the copy of the contract, Georgia will pay Tennessee State a $600,000 guarantee for the contest.
News of the Georgia-Tennessee State matchup was first reported by The Tennessean in July. The contract is dated June 12, but it was not fully executed until Jere W. Morehead, UGA’s President as well as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the University of Georgia Athletic Association, Inc., signed the document on October 27.
Tennessee State, a member of the OVC-Big South Football Association in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), is now lead by head coach Reggie Barlow, who replaced Eddie George in March after George accepted the same position at Bowling Green State University.
The Tennessee State contest joins previously announced non-conference matchups against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at home in Athens on Sept. 12, the Louisville Cardinals on the road on Sept. 19, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at home on Nov. 28.
However, one of the first two contests, either Louisville or Western Kentucky, will need to be rescheduled for another season or canceled altogether. The SEC will begin playing a nine-game football schedule next season, which means each league member can only play three non-conference opponents.
The SEC revealed Georgia’s opponents for the 2026 season in September. The Bulldogs will host Auburn, Florida (in Atlanta), Missouri, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt and will travel to Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
The SEC is expected to announce the complete 2026 football schedule with dates following the SEC Championship Game in December.