New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow has high expectations
New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow hopes to continue the momentum the Tigers gained in 2024
- Tennessee State University (TSU) will play against Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Middle Tennessee State over the next four years.
- These games provide financial benefits and national exposure for TSU.
Tennessee State athletic director Mikki Allen confirmed to The Tennessean on July 21 that the Tigers football team will play Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State over the next four years.
The Tigers, under new coach Reggie Barlow who replaced Eddie George in March, will play at Georgia in 2026. The Tigers tentatively will play Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in 2027. Allen is pushing for that game to be played at the new Nissan Stadium. TSU will then play at Middle Tennessee State in 2028 and at Vanderbilt in 2029.
The specific dates for those games are being worked out. Allen said each game will be played early in the season.
Allen was excited to get Tennessee on TSU”s schedule. Allen played for the Vols and was part of the 1998 national championship team.
“We’ve been working on the Tennessee game for a while,” Allen said. “It’s going to be a special game. We’re still working with their administration to figure out where to play. Because we’re here by the state capital and would love to play that game in the inaugural year at the new Nissan Stadium.”
The three SEC games will be a boost for TSU financially, coming with guaranteed money as well as national exposure.
“That’s strong, that’s really strong,” Allen said. “I’m from Tennessee. That’s my stomping grounds, so that was important to me. But you think about what we’ve got with this coaching staff with coach Barlow. We’ve got some Super Bowl champs and it just keeps going. So that gave us a lot of connections with some of these bigger program to work these games out.”
Barlow said he welcomes the challenge that will come with playing FBS opponents. He said he tried to do the same thing during his time as the coach at Alabama State (2007-14).
“You’re talking about SEC games, you’re talking about great tradition programs like Georgia, like Tennessee and, of course, like Vanderbilt who’s coming along and doing some wonderful things,” Barlow said. “Just being able to go and play in those stadiums and get that experience for our young men here and our coaches is going to be exciting. Obviously, we know that it’s a huge task and a huge challenge, but I just look forward to being in that atmosphere and that environment.”
TSU has played Vanderbilt and MTSU in the past but never played Tennessee or Georgia.
TSU does not have an FBS opponent on the schedule this season. The last time the Tigers played an FBS team was in 2023 when they lost to Notre Dame 56-3 in the season opener.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
