KNOXVILLE — The Southeastern Conference will play only league games during the 2020 football season.
The start of the season is slated for Sept. 26 and the SEC championship game is scheduled for Dec. 19. A revised 10-game schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date following approval by the Conference’s athletics directors.
Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer discussed the SEC’s scheduling decision, as well as plans for attendance at Neyland Stadium.
Today’s announcement by the Southeastern Conference provides important clarity as it relates to the 2020 football season. The league office is currently developing a revised schedule.
A tremendous amount of thought and discussion went into making what we believe is a responsible decision on scheduling format, and it’s exciting to be making progress toward competition. Our student-athletes and coaches are working hard to prepare while prioritizing health and safety. There are still several logistical unknowns, but we appreciate Vol Nation being patient and sticking with us as we continue to work through these unique circumstances.
Our next important reference point is a decision on capacity at Neyland Stadium. We plan to coordinate with state and local officials on gameday attendance, understanding that potential limitations could change from week to week once the season begins. This underscores the importance of the public practicing healthy habits statewide.
We’ve been working through plans for several different capacity scenarios and ticket allocation strategies and aim to communicate specifics once details are finalized.
Conversations remain ongoing at the NCAA and conference level regarding fall plans for Olympic sports.