KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's first game of the Lane Kiffin era also marks the debut of the SEC Network on ESPN Regional Television.
The Southeastern Conference released Wednesday that the Vols and Western Kentucky kick off their Sept. 5 season opener at 12:21 p.m. Eastern time from Neyland Stadium. That marks the first of 13 SEC football Game of the Week telecasts airing in more than 73 television markets as part of the groundbreaking 15-year agreement between ESPN Inc., and the SEC.
Within the nine-state SEC footprint that includes Tennessee, the SEC Network is being delivered in markets by the local over-the-air carrier of SEC events. Stations on board within the state are:
Chattanooga -- WDSI and WFLI
Jackson -- WJKT
Knoxville -- WVLT and My VLT2
Memphis -- WLMT
Nashville -- WUXP
Tri-Cities -- WCYB and CW4
Telecasts open at noon Eastern time each week with the live SEC Studio show, hosted by Rob Stone and analyst Matt Stinchcomb, followed by the matchup. Longtime SEC announcer Dave Neal calls the play-by-play along with analyst and former Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware and field reporter Cara Capuano.
Also finalized Wednesday was the start time for UT's Sept. 12 home contest against UCLA, set for 4 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.
The Vols' Sept. 19 trip to Florida kicks off the CBS Sports package and already was ticketed for the 3:30 p.m. Eastern time slot.
2009 Tennessee Football Schedule
Date Opponent Place Time TV
Sept. 5 Western Kentucky Knoxville 12:21 p.m. ET SEC Network
Sept. 12 UCLA Knoxville 4 p.m. ET ESPN
Sept. 19 *at Florida Gainesville 3:30 p.m. ET CBS
Sept. 26 Ohio Knoxville
Oct. 3 *Auburn Knoxville
Oct. 10 *Georgia Knoxville
Oct. 24 *at Alabama Tuscaloosa
Oct. 31 *South Carolina Knoxville
Nov. 7 Memphis (HC) Knoxville
Nov. 14 *at Mississippi Oxford
Nov. 21 *Vanderbilt Knoxville
Nov. 28 *at Kentucky Lexington
SEC Championship Game
Dec. 5 Atlanta 4 p.m. ET CBS
*-SEC Opponent; HC-Homecoming
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)