Tennessee’s 2015 schedule is set – the Vols will open the 2015 season against Bowling Green State University on Sept. 5 in Nashville at LP Field. The Vols were scheduled to open the season in Nashville against UAB, but last week the Blazers announced their football program would end after this season.
“We are pleased to announce that we have been able to maintain our plans to open the 2015 season in Nashville, now against Bowling Green,” Dave Hart said in a release on UTSports.com.
Bowling Green, a member of the Mid-American Conference, went 7-6 this season and played in the MAC Championship Game last weekend – losing 51-17 to Northern Illinois. They face South Alabama, a team the Vols played last season, on December 20th in the Camellia Bowl.
Tennessee is 5-0 all-time against teams from the MAC, with wins over Akron (2012), Buffalo (2011), Ohio (2009), Northern Illinois (2008) and Marshall (2003). In those five games, the average score was 34-18 in favor of the Vols.
Bowling Green will receive $1.2 million from Tennessee within 60 days of the game. The Vols were set to pay UAB $925,000, but not only won’t have to pay that out, they’ll receive $925,000 from UAB for breaching their end of the contract – a gain $1,850,000 for the Vols. Subtract Bowling Green’s payout from the contract and Tennessee will still be $650,000 ahead of where they would have been had they played UAB next season – a number approximately equal to Butch Jones’ $600,000 raise.
You can view Tennessee’s game contact with Bowling Green here.
