Longtime Knoxville News Sentinel columnist John Adams has published a new piece examining the Tennessee-Kentucky football rivalry, suggesting the Volunteers consistently bring out the worst in the Wildcats. The column, published by The Tennessean on November 8, 2026, continues Adams' coverage of the Southeastern Conference matchup between the two border-state programs.
Adams, who has covered Tennessee athletics for decades, frames the rivalry through the lens of Kentucky's historical struggles against the Volunteers. The Wildcats have traditionally found more success in basketball, while Tennessee has held the upper hand on the football field for much of the series history.
The column appears ahead of the latest installment in the annual series, which has been played continuously since 1944. Both programs compete in the SEC East division, adding conference championship implications to the regional bragging rights at stake each season.
