Colleges in Tennessee With Football Teams

17 colleges in Tennessee, and how many players each one loses after this season.

players leave a typical team
21
lose a quarterback
71%

2026-27 rosters, read September 29, 2026

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All 17 Tennessee schools

Most players leaving first. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster.

17 schools

  • Tennessee Tech logo

    Tennessee Tech

    Cookeville, TN

    D1 FCS

    48players leaving

    Positions
  • Vanderbilt logo

    Vanderbilt

    Nashville, TN

    D1 FBS

    43players leaving

    Positions
  • Memphis logo

    Memphis

    Memphis, TN

    D1 FBS

    32players leaving

    Positions

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  • Tennessee logo

    Tennessee

    Knoxville, TN

    D1 FBS

    32players leaving

    Positions
  • Austin Peay logo

    Austin Peay

    Clarksville, TN

    D1 FCS

    31players leaving

    Positions
  • Chattanooga logo

    Chattanooga

    Chattanooga, TN

    D1 FCS

    30players leaving

    Positions
  • Cumberland-TN logo

    Cumberland-TN

    Lebanon, TN

    NAIA

    24players leaving

    Positions
  • Middle Tennessee logo

    Middle Tennessee

    Murfreesboro, TN

    D1 FBS

    24players leaving

    Positions
  • East Tennessee State logo

    East Tennessee State

    Johnson City, TN

    D1 FCS

    21players leaving

    Positions
  • Sewanee logo

    Sewanee

    Sewanee, TN

    D3

    17players leaving

    Positions
  • Tennessee State logo

    Tennessee State

    Nashville, TN

    D1 FCS

    17players leaving

    Positions
  • Tennessee-Martin logo

    Tennessee-Martin

    Martin, TN

    D1 FCS

    17players leaving

    Positions
Show all 17 schools
  • Tusculum logo

    Tusculum

    Greeneville, TN

    D2

    16players leaving

    Positions
  • Maryville-TN logo

    Maryville-TN

    Maryville, TN

    D3

    14players leaving

    Positions
  • Rhodes logo

    Rhodes

    Memphis, TN

    D3

    13players leaving

    Positions
  • Lane logo

    Lane

    Jackson, TN

    D2

    8players leaving

    Positions
  • Bethel-TN logo

    Bethel-TN

    McKenzie, TN

    NAIA

    5players leaving

    Positions

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Questions

How many colleges in Tennessee have football?

NextCommit's coach data lists 18 colleges in Tennessee with football teams for 2026: 4 D1 FBS, 6 D1 FCS, 3 D2, 3 D3 and 2 NAIA. This page shows the 17 whose 2026-27 rosters we could read in full on September 29, 2026.

How many players does a Tennessee football program lose each year?

The typical Tennessee football program on this list has 21 players in their last season on its 2026-27 roster. Wide receivers are the most common opening: 94% of these programs lose at least one, then offensive linemen at 94%.

What does "players leaving" mean?

Players in their last season on the college's 2026-27 roster page: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. Their spots open for recruits who start college in 2027.

Does a player leaving mean an open scholarship?

No. It means a roster spot the coaches have to refill, with high school recruits, transfers or walk-ons. How many spots carry aid depends on the level: Division I schools in the House settlement have a 105-player roster limit and no scholarship cap, Division II has 36 football equivalencies shared across the team, Division III gives no athletic aid, the NAIA allows 24 and the NJCAA 85. Some players also get an extra year through a waiver.

Which positions does each school need?

That is Roster Needs, part of NextCommit Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing and filters your coach list to the programs that need your position. This page shows each school's total only.

How should I use this list?

Find schools at your level with players leaving, check which level fits you with the free Football Recruit Score, then email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Follow up when you have something new to share.

How often is this data updated?

NextCommit reads college roster pages twice a year, after fall and spring rosters are posted. This page shows the September 29, 2026 read of 2026-27 rosters. Schools we could not read in full join the list when a later read passes.

How we got these numbers

We read each college's own roster page on September 29, 2026. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks don't change the count.

This list shows 17 of the 18 programs in NextCommit's coach data (94%). Schools whose roster we couldn't read in full aren't listed yet. We call a list complete when we can read at least 75% of its rosters.

Divisions are for the 2026 season, including North Dakota State and Sacramento State moving to FBS and Saint Francis (PA) moving to Division III.

A player leaving is a spot to refill, not a scholarship offer. Coaches also fill spots from the transfer portal, some players get an extra year, and a roster page can lag behind the team. Use the numbers to decide where to look, then ask the coach.

Last updated November 3, 2026.

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