Josh Pate doesn’t hold back with his thoughts on Neyland Stadium and Tennessee Vols fans are sure to agree with it
If you were inside Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022, when the Tennessee Vols beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in dramatic fashion, then you know what a truly wild environment feels like in college football. Vols fans have long made it difficult for opponents to find success in Knoxville. Despite that, EA Sports ranked Neyland […]
If you were inside Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022, when the Tennessee Vols beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in dramatic fashion, then you know what a truly wild environment feels like in college football.
Vols fans have long made it difficult for opponents to find success in Knoxville. Despite that, EA Sports ranked Neyland Stadium as the No. 12 toughest place to play in its new College Football 26 video game. That ranking hasn’t sat well with Tennessee fans—or with many college football followers who believe the stadium deserves a much higher spot.
College football analyst Josh Pate spoke out in support of Vols fans, and they’ll appreciate where he believes Neyland Stadium belongs in terms of difficulty for opponents.
“I’ve got all the respect in the world for the folks at EA,” Pate said recently. “But to have Tennessee outside the top 10 of the toughest places to play in college football is evidence of drug use. Not only is Tennessee top 10—Neyland Stadium is the toughest place to play in college football. Don’t start with me. You can go argue with this wall over here. I’ve been there for the best of it.”
Pate went on to explain just how difficult it is to trail Tennessee on the road—especially late in the game, when the odds are stacked against you.
“Do you know what it’s like to be trailing Tennessee? Tennessee takes the lead on you in the fourth quarter, and they’re just blaring Rocky Top. You have over 100,000 people singing it at the top of their lungs.”
Tennessee holds a 478–141–17 all-time record at Neyland Stadium. The Vols have long had success at home, with 37 seasons played inside the stadium that finished without losing a game at home. Seating just under 102,000 fans, Neyland becomes a sea of orange that’s impossible to ignore when Vol Nation is fully engaged.
While there may be arguments for other schools to claim the No. 1 spot, it’s clear that Neyland Stadium deserves a higher ranking than No. 12. On this point, Vols fans will absolutely agree with Josh Pate.
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