KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee's football team, which capped its 2014 season with an impressive victory over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl, is ranked No. 25 in the preseason coaches poll.
Tennessee's last appearance in the poll was a No. 18 ranking in 2008, also in the preseason. It is also the first time since 2012 that Tennessee has been ranked in any top-25 poll as the Volunteers last appeared at No.
23 in the AP Poll on Sept. 12, 2012.
The Southeastern Conference again heads the field in terms of number of ranked teams. Led by third-ranked Alabama, the SEC features eight teams in the preseason top 25. Five are members of the West Division while Tennessee is joined by No. 9 Georgia and No. 23 Missouri as representatives of the East Division. Mississippi State (164 points) and Texas A&M (149) lead the pack of initially non-ranked programs also receiving votes.
Five of UT's 12 opponents in the 2015 season appear in the poll, with three more receiving votes. The Vols' ranked opponents include No. 3 Alabama, No. 9 Georgia, No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 20 Arkansas, and No. 23 Mizzou. South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky also received votes.
The first regular season Coaches Poll is schedule to be released on Sept. 8. The final regular season Coaches Poll will be unveiled on December 6.
The Vols also announced on Thursday that the athletic department that it raised a record $48.4 million in cash and support in the fiscal year that ended June 30. The total surpassed the previous record of $47 million in 2008.
Additionally, the Tennessee Fund membership has increased to 12, 954, its highest mark since 2010.
Annual contributions to the Tennessee Fund accounted for $28.3 million (58 percent) of the total figure, an increase of $3.65 million from 2013-14. Gifts earmarked for capital projects totaled $12.6 million. The remaining $7.5 million came in the form of endowments, planned gifts and gifts-in-kind contributions.
PRESEASON
1. Ohio State (62)
2. TCU (1)
3. Alabama (1)
4. Baylor
5. Oregon
6. Michigan State
7. Auburn
8. Florida State
9. Georgia
10. USC
11. Notre Dame
12. Clemson
13. LSU
14. UCLA
15. Ole Miss
16. Arizona State
17. Georgia Tech
18. Wisconsin
19. Oklahoma
20. Arkansas
21. Stanford
22. Arizona
23. Missouri
24. Boise State
25. TENNESSEE