KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton announced Tuesday that Tennessee and Oklahoma have agreed to square off on the gridiron in 2014 and 2015. The Volunteers will travel to Norman, Okla., Sept. 13, 2014, before the schools face one another in Neyland Stadium Sept. 12, 2015.
"This matchup is another opportunity for two of the great traditional college football programs to meet on the field,'' UT athletics director Mike Hamilton said. "Both programs have storied histories and rank among the NCAA's top 10 in all-time total wins. Since 1926, Tennessee and Oklahoma rank first and third, respectively, in overall victories.''
Despite each program's standing among the nation's elite, Tennessee and Oklahoma have met only twice, with both games taking place at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. The Vols shut out the Sooners 17-0 in the 1939 Orange Bowl (UT's second bowl game ever). Then in the 1968 Orange Bowl, Oklahoma posted a 26-24 victory to even the all-time series at 1-1.
Since legendary head coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland coached his first team at Tennessee in 1926, the Vols have won more games (618) than any other school in the country. Oklahoma ranks third nationally with 602 wins since 1926.
The last time Tennessee faced an opponent from the Big 12 Conference in the regular season was the 1997 season-opener against Texas Tech, as the fifth-ranked Vols defeated the Red Raiders 52-17 in Knoxville.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)