On3's Andy Staples predicts who the Tennessee Vols' 3 permanent opponents will be with new 9 game SEC schedule

The move to a nine game schedule means that each SEC program will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents.

As you can imagine, there's already been a lot of speculation about who the Tennessee Vols' three permanent opponents will be.

On3's Andy Staples made his prediction for each SEC program's three permanent opponents on Friday. Staples has the Volunteers facing Alabama, Florida, and Vanderbilt on an annual basis.

Alabama and Vanderbilt are probably locked in as permanent opponents for Tennessee. The Third Saturday in October will almost certainly continue to be an annual affair. And it makes sense to preserve Tennessee's in-state rivalry with Vanderbilt.

The third game is where the biggest debate lies. The three most popular choices for that game seem to be Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina.

I think Kentucky makes the most sense. Kentucky is the closest school to Tennessee outside of Vanderbilt. College football, at its core (despite conference realignment and mega TV deals), is a regional sport. And geographic rivalries, when possible, should be preserved.