With the upcoming addition of Texas, there will be two schools with the abbreviation "UT" in the SEC come 2024, but don't tell Tennessee coach Josh Heupel that. During his appearance at SEC Media Days Thursday, Heupel was asked about Texas joining the league next year and took a shot at his team's future opponent.
"There's only one real UT," Heupel said with a smile. "One right shade of orange."
The two schools share some definite similarities in their logos, abbreviations and colors, though the Volunteers' "Pantone-151" does look quite different than Texas' iconic burnt orange.
Unfortunately, the two sides won't get a chance to face off for bragging rights until 2025. Tennessee gets fellow Big 12 transplant Oklahoma in 2024, while Texas' inaugural SEC opponents include Georgia, Texas A&M and Arkansas.
Texas and Tennessee have only faced off three times on the gridiron, and the two iconic college football brands have yet to see each other since the turn of the century. Their last clash was in the 1968 Cotton Bowl where Texas took down the Vols 36-13. The Longhorns hold a 2-1 advantage in such meetings.
Heupel has a personal history with the Longhorns. Prior to embarking on his coaching career, he spent two seasons as the quarterback at Oklahoma. In that span, he went 1-1 in Red River Rivalry games as a starter.
