First game I remember watching on TV was 1967 I think...I was 8...it was USC vs (somebody)...and I remember at the time I thought you *had* to go to the school closest to where you were born. I was born at Edward AFB in California...(my dad was a career pilot in the USAF) and I thought I had to go to USC...funny how kids think about things!
We went overseas again for the next 2 years and when we came back we were up in Washington, DC...so there was no memory of college football at that time, only the Washington Redskins...
We moved to Knoxville in 1973(my dad was from Corryton but we first moved to west Knoxville) and I remember raking the leaves in the yard and would have a radio on listening to John Ward call the games...those were really good memories!
We moved to Corryton (and I went to Gibbs HS) in 1974...and then I FINALLY get to go to a Tennessee game...
I was on the football team and we went to collect money at the LSU game for the FCA...Steve Morton and I were at a gate near the front of the stadium and who should pull up but the Governor Ray Blanton! Steve got to him first and Blanton threw in a few bucks...well, I had to hit him up too and Blanton looked annoyed and threw in some change...and action like that today would get him removed from office!
Later that same year my oldest brother took me to the North Texas State game...we wanted to leave early to beat traffic and we did leave after UT tied up the mean green...as we were walking out of the stadium as UT kicked off...we could hear the roar...and then the incredible silence as North Texas state ran the KO back for a TD...the UT player who missed the tackle was Billy Arbo...a big time recruit from Webb School in Knoxville...and Gibbs played them in 74 I think and we saw Arbo...heckuva player!
I know that's way more than the 'first game you remember' but hey, I was on a roll!