Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has never lost to Alabama in Knoxville.

After Saturday’s 26-10 win, Heupel is now 3-0 as the Vols’ head coach at home against the Crimson Tide.

Each of Heupel’s three wins over Alabama had led to an incredible scene at Neyland Stadium as fans have stormed the field after all three games.

I saw plenty of Vols fans saying that fans shouldn’t have rushed the field after Saturday’s win. Their feeling was that Tennessee fans should act like they’ve been there before now that the Vols have won three of their last five games against Alabama.

But Heupel says that storming the field after beating Alabama is now the expectation for Vols fans.

“Yeah, back to the first one (in 2022), all the build up and lead up to it, and now there’s an expectation that that’s what you do when you’re playing these guys,” said Heupel when asked about fans storming the field after the win. “It’s been fun building this. There’s been days where we want different outcomes, but this is without a doubt the best fan base. They show up in a unique way every Saturday. Recruits come here and they drive by Vol Navy and see all those boats. You go to Vol Walk and see 35,000 people. 60 minutes before kickoff, it’s 65 or 70 percent full.

“It’s college sports. It’s college football as good as it gets. And it’s special to be here. Walking off that field in a situation like tonight, where you win, those are things I’ll remember forever, too.”

I understand why some fans don’t love storming the field after winning a game that Tennessee now expects to win.

But I also understand why Heupel is in favor of it.

Heupel clearly loves the Tennessee fan base, and allowing fans to storm the field allows them to be part of the win (and look, Vols fans certainly made a huge impact on the game with how loud they were — Alabama had five pre-snap penalties on Saturday). It’s basically Heupel’s way of saying, “We’re all in this together.”

It’s also something awesome for recruits to experience.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White actually encouraged fans to storm the field after the win (though he asked for them to wait for Alabama to leave the field). So while Vols fans who are against it have a point, I ultimately think it’s a really cool experience for the fans who show up, do their part to create a wild atmosphere, and get a chance to enjoy the moment.