Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart expects to learn about his team’s competitiveness Saturday afternoon as the 2026 season begins.
The Bulldogs will play host to Tennessee State with kickoff set for 3 p.m. in Sanford Stadium. The game is being broadcast on SEC Network+.
In this era of transfers and heavy roster turnover, Smart’s team features many of the same players who won a second-straight SEC Championship last season.
Georgia, led by senior quarterback Gunner Stockton and All-American safety KJ Bolden, plans to return to the SEC Championship. They’ll look to win a game in the College Football Playoff for the first time since they won it all in 2022.
That journey to the National Championship in Las Vegas begins against the visiting Tigers Saturday, where Georgia is a heavy, heavy favorite. Smart said he’s excited to see this team compete for the first time.
“We’ve got to play somebody else to get better,” Smart said earlier this week. “That’s the stage we’re in.”
Georgia Football said fans attending the game are allowed to bring in a 20-ounce water bottle to combat the heat. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s, according to the National Weather Service, with the heat index potentially approaching 110 degrees.
There will be water tanks around the stadium for fans to refill their water bottles.
