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Provo • BYU will play at the University of Tennessee in the 2019 season, with a return trip for the Volunteers to LaVell Edwards Stadium in the 2023 season.
The Cougars announced the home-and-home series on Thursday afternoon. The 2019 game in Knoxville, Tenn., will be played on Sept. 7. The 2023 game will be played on either Sept. 1 or Sept. 2.
"There's something about those orange and white checkerboard end zones that shouts 'Tradition!'," BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe said in a university release. "When the opportunity to play a series with Tennessee presented itself, we didn't blink. They're a storied football program with a winning tradition, national championships, a classic stadium, incredible fans and hall of fame coaches. It will be a great experience to visit SEC country and play in Neyland Stadium, and later host Tennessee in Provo."
Tennessee is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference. It has won six national championships and played in 52 bowl games, tied for the second most ever. The 2019 game will be played at Neyland Stadium, the fourth-largest athletic facility in the country with a capacity of 102,455.
Over the past 30 seasons, BYU, Tennessee and Clemson have each won 254 games to tie for ninth in total wins among Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
BYU also announced a home game in 2019 against Idaho State. The game is scheduled for Nov. 16 in Provo. The teams have played five times previously, with BYU winning each time. Idaho is a Big Sky Conference team and in 1981, led by former BYU assistant Dave Kragthorpe, won the Division I-AA national championship.