Tennessee-Appalachian State game moved up 2 days to Sept. 1

The opening weekend of the 2016 schedule is littered with huge matchups, and for Tennessee and Appalachian State, it's going to get started a couple days early.

The season-opening contest between the two programs has been moved up from Saturday, Sept. 3, to Thursday, Sept. 1, and will air on the SEC Network.

Moving the game to Thursday offers Volunteer fans a rare opportunity to see a home game during the week. The last time Tennessee hosted a Thursday contest was 1938.

The matchup with the Mountaineers will be the second game featuring an SEC team slated for a Sept. 1 kickoff, as South Carolina visits Vanderbilt in the night's marquee matchup.

Tennessee enters the 2016 season as one of the favorites in the SEC East, while Appalachian State will look to build off an impressive 11-2 record in 2015.