Big Orange Sunday

Coach previews the upcoming volunteer football season from a seasoned coach's perspective. Matthews breaks down the favorable 2026 schedule, analyzing key early matchups against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State that will test the Vols' young quarterbacks before they head into rigorous SEC play. Key topics discussed include: The Quarterback Competition: An evaluation of how Coach Josh Heupe...

Coach is joined by Jimmy Hyams to break down the latest news surrounding University of Tennessee athletics. In this segment, they discuss the Volunteers' historic national fan attendance record across football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball, and dive into the surging momentum of the lady Vols softball team as they head into the regional tournament. They also shift focus to t...

Coach discuss the upcoming schedule, recruitment updates, and team strategies for the Tennessee Volunteers' 2026 season. highlighting the vital travel windows for the 2027 recruiting class, evaluates the benefits of a 24-team playoff format, and previews challenging non-conference matchups, including Georgia Tech. He also offers a deep dive into modern roster dynamics, detailing how expanded schol...

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! Happy Mother's Day, Vol Nation. In this special holiday edition, host and former Tennessee defensive coordinator Doug Mathews takes a deep dive into the wild, ever-changing world of Vols football recruiting. A huge focus of the show is how head coach Josh Heupel is juggling an estimated $40 million personnel budget, especially when it comes to landi...

Coach and Jimmy Hyams focuses on the current momentum and future outlook of Tennessee Volunteers athletics, specifically highlighting the baseball team's recent success against third-ranked Texas and their path toward the NCAA tournament. The discussion transitions to the softball program's postseason standing, noting that despite an early exit from the SEC Tournament, their high RPI and projected...

Coach Mathews analyzes the modern landscape of college football recruitment, comparing the process to a family budget where Coach Josh Heupel must prioritize high-value positions like the "trigger man" at quarterback. With an estimated personnel budget of $40 million—funded by revenue sharing, third-party deals, and NIL—the program faces high costs, such as $5 million to $6 million for...

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! This week, Coach Doug Matthews takes a deep dive into the evolving landscape of Tennessee football, looking at how the program is navigating the modern challenges of NIL and the transfer portal. The conversation highlights the importance of keeping top-tier talent close to home by recruiting heavily in Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas, while al...

Coach and Jimmy Hyams takes a look back on the 2025-2026 athletic year for the University of Tennessee. reflecting on how the year was successful in many ways but faced its challenges in some areas, specifically football and baseball.  mentioning how both football and baseball went through transitions in coaches and faced difficulty in finding their rhythm on the field. They also touch on the...

Doug Mathews discussing the multifaceted "art of recruiting" in the modern college football landscape. Mathews highlights that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, but notes how significantly the process has evolved due to the transfer portal , Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collectives , and advanced scouting technologies like Hudl . He explains the strategic "roster management" phase cur...

In this episode of Big Orange Sunday, host Coach Doug Mathews takes listeners into " Realville " to analyze the shifting landscape of University of Tennessee football following the conclusion of spring practice. Mathews details the impact of the new 105-scholarship limit and predicts that the transfer portal will likely lead to an annual roster turnover of approximately 40%. He notes that the 2026...

This segment of Big Orange Sunday dives into the concept of "Realville," exploring the current state and future of the University of Tennessee’s football program as the spring evaluation period concludes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach Doug Mathews and Jimmy Hyams discuss the rare occurrence of both baseball and softball hosting Alabama in the same weekend, followed by a deep dive into the 2026 NFL Draft results for the Volunteers, the SEC's dominance and success for the Vol's spring sports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Big Orange Sunday , Coach Doug Mathews breaks down the rapidly evolving landscape of college football roster construction for the 2026 season. He analyzes the dramatic shift toward the Transfer Portal and NIL era, noting that the traditional model of developing high school recruits over several years has become a "rare commodity". The discussion provides a deep dive into how pro...

In this segment, Jimmy Hyams joins Doug Mathews to break down the latest developments across Tennessee athletics as spring practice wraps up and roster building heats up. From defensive schemes to a high-stakes quarterback battle, Jimmy provides expert analysis on where the Vols stand heading into the summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Church segment, Coach Doug Mathews dives deep into the rapidly shifting landscape of college football roster construction. As the 2026 season approaches, Coach analyzes the stark contrast between the traditional "high school development" model and the current Transfer Portal/NIL era. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach Mathews gives a full recap of the Vols Spring Practice after the conclusion of the Orange and White Spring Game. Coach gives his thoughts on where the program stands at the current moment and where they can/will improve heading into the summer months! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach and Jimmy Hyams provide a comprehensive review of the 2026 Tennessee Volunteers spring practice season. They center on the high-stakes quarterback competition between redshirt freshmen George McIntyre and Faizon Brandon, alongside a deep dive into the significant defensive overhaul under new coordinator Jim Knowles. With twelve new transfer additions joining the defensive unit, the discussio...

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday, your home for an in-depth review of the 2026 spring practice season. In this episode, host Doug Matthews is joined by Jimmy Hyams to break down the most critical storylines emerging from the Orange and White event. The discussion centers on the intense quarterback battle between redshirt freshmen George McIntyre and Faizon Brandon, as well as the si...

Coach Doug Matthews reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities of spring practice, honors a handful of former Vol Football legends for their stories on and off the field, the dynamics of the Quarterback position, analysis for multiple position groups, and recruiting milestones for the Tennessee program! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday with Coach Doug Matthews, where we dive deep into the current state of Tennessee Athletics, from the gridiron to the hardwood. This episode centers on a comprehensive review of the Tennessee Volunteers' spring football practice, where Coach Matthews analyzes Josh Heupel’s strategic decision to prioritize internal continuity and youth at skill p...

Coach is joined by sports journalist Jimmy Hyams to analyze the current state of Tennessee Athletics, beginning with a deep dive into the basketball team's recent success in the NCAA tournament. They highlight a dominant victory over Iowa State, characterized by a massive rebounding advantage and double-double performances from Felix Okpara and Jaylen Carey. Despite shooting poorly from the perime...

Coach welcomes Jimmy Hyams back to the show for a deep dive into the current state of Tennessee athletics. From the tennis courts of Palm Springs to the high-stakes world of modern collegiate recruiting, this segment covers everything Vol fans need to know this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! Most college football teams struggle with the perfect balance of experience and talent—Tennessee's latest squad aims to shatter those expectations entirely. With a roster packed with underclassmen, a new transfer portal strategy, and a fresh approach to player development, the Volunteers are entering a pivotal season, even as critics question...

Welcome to another high-stakes episode of Big Orange Sunday . As spring practice kicks off on Rocky Top, the air is thick with anticipation—but is this Tennessee roster truly ready for the spotlight, or are we looking at a group that’s simply "young and unproven"? With a wave of transfer portal talent arriving, the clock is ticking: How quickly can this team gel before the SEC gauntlet...

Coach is joined by Jimmy Hyams to break down the current state of Tennessee athletics as they head into a pivotal spring season. The conversation highlights the SEC basketball tournament's long-term future in Nashville and the mixed fortunes of the basketball programs, with the men's team seeking consistency for the NCAA tournament while the Lady Vols face their most challenging season in over fif...