The Tennessee Volunteers derive their name from a proud moment in their state’s history, when Tennessee provided large numbers of volunteer soldiers to fight in the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. This wasn’t quite such ancient history when the team started out, way back in 1891, when a few veterans of that conflict could conceivably have been still alive. These days, the Volunteers have taken up the mantle of those long-dead grizzled soldiers as proud representatives of Tennessee, emerging as one of the top college football programs in the country over the past century. All in all, the Volunteers have 865 total wins (14th in the nation) for a winning percentage of .669 (11th in the nation), which has led to 12 national titles (6 claimed, 6 unclaimed), 16 conference titles, and 30 Bowl game wins (30-25 overall Bowl game record). A big contributor to this winning tradition has been the team’s impressive record at home, where they are bolstered by a fanatical fan base known as the Sea of Orange due to their propensity to fill the stands with the school colors of orange and white. Generations of fans have belted out the school’s official fight song “Down the Field” along with “Rocky Top” and “Dixieland Delight” accompanied by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. The Band forms a large T formation on the field prior to kickoffs through which the players sprint during their entrance onto the playing field. The buildup to games is almost as impressive, with pep rallies and tailgating the norm along with the Vol Walk, during which Volunteers players and coaches make their way into the stadium players and coaches, cheered on by thousands of fans. 

Tennessee Volunteers Rivalries

The Tennessee Volunteers have made a lot of enemies over the years, as befits such a successful and popular team (one that once held its opponents scoreless over the course of an entire season in 1939!). Their most heated rivalry is probably that with the Alabama Crimson Tide, which began with a rather drab-sounding 6-6 tie in 1901. The teams have met 105 times since, with Alabama leading on a record of 59-39-1, though the Volunteers have registered many memorable wins, including a fifth-overtime victory in 2003 won on a quarterback sneak. Tennessee is also part of one of the oldest series in American college football against the Kentucky Wildcats, who they have faced 118 times and lead handily at 82-26-9. They have also dominated their historical rivalry with the Vanderbilt Commodores, though the Commodores have inflicted several costly losses on the Volunteers upon occasion. More recent rivalries have also sprung up since the Volunteers changed conferences with the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, and South Carolina Gamecocks.

Finding Tennessee Volunteers Football Tickets

Fans descend on the small eastern Tennessee city of Knoxville by car, RV, bus, and even boat (docking at riverside next to Neyland Stadium) for Volunteers home games, building up to kickoff with plenty of tailgating and parties. This makes for a fantastic atmosphere around town and campus, but can render tickets difficult to find, particularly for decisive conference games, rivalry matchups (see above), and Bowl games. Your best option to find affordable Tennessee Volunteers tickets is always TicketX, so be sure to keep checking our listings as game day approaches and use our helpful stadium seating chart to compare different seating options.