TSU coach wants to play Tennessee in football

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- While Butch Jones tries to talk prospects into coming to Tennessee at the Vols' first satellite camp June 5 at Tennessee State, Tigers coach Rod Reed will try to persuade Jones to do something he would like.

Make no mistake, Reed also will pitch his program to the 400-500 high school players who are expected to show up at Hale Stadium for what the Vols are calling Tennessee Statement Camp '16.

But at some point, Reed will take advantage of having Jones on his campus and try to talk him into doing something no Vols coach ever has done — play the Tigers.

UT has played other in-state Ohio Valley Conference teams Austin Peay and UT Martin over the past few years, and it will play Tennessee Tech this season.

The Vols also played Chattanooga, another in-state Football Championship Subdivision team, in 2014 and FCS power Montana in 2011.

But the Big Orange and the Big Blue never have played.

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