National media outlet slams Neyland Stadium with disrespect
Neyland Stadium is one of the great cathedrals in college football. And anyone who questioned that over the last several years was reminded in 2022 just how electric Neyland can be when the Tennessee Vols are playing at a high level. The 2022 season featured several incredible environments that left an impression on opposing fans, […]
Neyland Stadium is one of the great cathedrals in college football.
And anyone who questioned that over the last several years was reminded in 2022 just how electric Neyland can be when the Tennessee Vols are playing at a high level.
The 2022 season featured several incredible environments that left an impression on opposing fans, recruits, and viewers at home.
The atmosphere for Tennessee's win against Florida in late September led to Josh Heupel telling CBS Sports' Jenny Dell "this is college football as good as it gets".
As good as the environment was for the Vols' win against Florida, it was nothing compared to the atmosphere for Tennessee's win over Alabama a few weeks later.
The crowd was roaring all evening long during the Alabama game, often making it hard for the Crimson Tide to communicate. It was after the game, though, when things really got wild.
Tennessee fans stormed the field after Chase McGrath's game-winning 40-yard field goal. The uprights were torn down and paraded through the streets of Knoxville, before eventually finding their new home at the bottom of the Tennessee river.
Despite those incredible scenes, 247Sports ranked Neyland Stadium this week as the 11th-best stadium based on fan atmosphere.
From 247Sports: Despite the team struggling prior to last season, the support for Tennessee did not falter. More than 100,000 fans still filled the stadium with the iconic checkerboard end zones weekly, ready to support the Volunteers. The Volunteers turned things around in a big way last season, going 11-2 and having a crazy win over Alabama that created mayhem in Knoxville. Could we see more of the same this season?
I've never seen an atmosphere as wild as what we saw at the Tennessee/Alabama game. I don't know that any college football game could ever top that environment.
I'm sure some folks will suggest that the atmosphere for the Alabama game was a one-time deal that will never be seen again at Neyland, but I don't think that's the case at all. In fact, I think we could see something similar in 2023 if the Vols manage to knock off Georgia in Knoxville.
Tennessee fans have continually proven that they're one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. To rank Neyland Stadium as the 11th-best stadium based on fan atmosphere isn't just wrong, it's insulting to Vols fans.
