‘That’s really kind of weird’ — New Florida coach Jon Sumrall made his first comments about Tennessee and he’s right
New Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall made his first comments about the Tennessee Vols at SEC Media Days in Tampa this week.
New Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall hasn’t said much about the Tennessee Vols since getting hired last winter.
And that’s probably because Florida doesn’t play Tennessee in 2026.
Thanks to the new nine game SEC schedule, the Gators and the Volunteers won’t play each other for the first time since 1989.
Sumrall, who played at Kentucky from 2001 to 2004, finds it “weird” that the two programs won’t play this fall.
“Every game’s a big game,” said Sumrall at SEC Media Days in Tampa this week. “We don’t change. You can ask about Georgia, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we don’t change our prep for the game. It stays the same. But it is new and unique to be playing Texas a third year in a row. That’s not something that’s historically been a part of Florida’s past.
“Who would have thought 10 years ago that Florida would be playing Texas for the third year in a row and not playing Tennessee? Like, we don’t play Tennessee this year. That’s really kind of weird.”
Sumrall knows all about SEC rivalries after playing and coaching at Kentucky (he also spent a season as an assistant coach at Ole Miss), so it’s no surprise that he finds it odd that Florida and Tennessee aren’t playing this season.
By the way, Sumrall has been on the opposite sideline in the Tennessee vs Kentucky rivalry nine times as a player or coach. He’s 1-8 against the Vols, with the lone win coming in 2020.