Peyton Manning made a statement on where his loyalty stands for a special game during the 2026 college football season between his alma mater, the Tennessee Volunteers, and his nephew Arch Manning’s Texas Longhorns.
Professional athletes often pay homage to their colleges once they make it to the next level, showing love for everything the schools did to help get them there. However, in this situation, family comes before Peyton’s loyalties to the program.
Peyton Manning Admits He’s Rooting for Arch Manning’s Longhorns to Defeat Volunteers
While Peyton has stayed connected with the Vols’ football program, the Hall of Fame quarterback drew a line this weekend. He spoke to reporters about the upcoming game at the annual Manning Passing Academy this weekend.
The Hall of Fame quarterback also told reporters about a conversation he had with one of the campers regarding the game.
“One of the kids was asking me earlier who I was gonna go for. I said, ‘Who do you think?’ Manning said. “And of course, he said that he would go for his school over his relative and I went, ‘Well, you and I are different. You and I are wired differently.’
“Nothing’s more important than your family. Obviously, it’s going to be a huge SEC game. My dad dealt with it when I was in college, when Tennessee played Ole Miss. I love my university and my alma mater and pull for them unconditionally, but nothing’s more important to me than my family. When you have a nephew playing, I pull very hard for him every single Saturday. That’s pretty much a no-brainer that you’re pulling for your nephew to play well.”
I asked Peyton Manning about 9/26, when Texas travels to Knoxville to play Tennessee. Who will Peyton root for?
Manning says, “I love my university… but nothing’s more important to me than my family.” @LockedOnSEC pic.twitter.com/SkISiTkPfS
— Chris Gordy (@ChrisGordy) June 26, 2026
The Longhorns will be on the road to play the Volunteers to open their SEC schedule on September 26. While it will be one of the most anticipated early-season games, it leaves both teams room for error, as they’ll have the rest of their conference schedules to make up for it.
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However, Peyton did clarify that his loyalty remains with his Volunteers every other matchup.
“But, like I said, everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays: the University of Tennessee,” he said.
Arch is heading into his third season at Texas and his second as the starter. He finished the 2025 season with 3,163 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
It wasn’t a bad year for the young Manning, but it wasn’t as productive as many expected. His 2026 season will determine how high he gets drafted in 2027, but he’s currently being projected as a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
