Were you born into this or did you just decide to pick Tennessee

[youcancallmeAl]

I'm a military brat. Travelled around until Dad retired from the Corps and settled in Tennessee. Had no favoite team unitl I went to Rosebonnet Bowl in 65 between UT and UCLA. Fell in love with Volunteers then and there. UT fan ever since, Class of 72.

 

[EasternVol]

Born into it and blessed to be. Dad grew up in JC during the Neyland years and passed down his love of the Vols. We'd see a game or two a year at Neyland starting around 1969 and that cemented it.

 

[volaholic1969]

Born into it. Grandfather, Dad and myself all UT grads. Family has had 12 season tickets since the late 60's. Although the military took me away, I always find my way back.

 

[utvols20]

Watched a little growing up. Clausen tossing the Hail Mary before half in the Swamp solidified my loyalty (2003, I believe).

 

[VOLnMiami]

Was your first meal…carrots & milk???

I can't remember

 

[Volador]

Yup. Same years as me. $900 a quarter for everything and it didn’t change a dime the entire four years. The actual tuition part was $450 a quarter. In state tuition was $150 a quarter. I had no student loans to pay off after I graduated. Summer jobs and referring intramurals paid nearly the whole bill.

Dang, you're old too!! Had a summer job in Jersey two of my college years and worked 40 hours a week on the county road department (btw, painting roads on hot, crowded Jersey roads in 80s/90s in the summer is officially NOT fun) and my salary was $2/hour. Imagine that? $80/week. Luckily I double looped it at Ridgewood CC every Sat/Sun and made nearly as much in cash during those two days as five days on the road crew.

Reckon it is all relative however, $2,700/year for out of state tuition and board?? And best yet, I got me a BS from the Harvard of the South - UT!!

 

[BigOrangeGiant]

Born into it

 

[Pickinhick]

I was raised as a 7th generation Tennessean. My family came to Tennessee about the same time as UT was formed. I was born a Tennessee fan.

I first remember Condredge Holloway. I heard John Ward call games before that. But the Condredge era was when I first began to understand football, I was 13 or so.

 

[LadyVolette]

I was raised as a 7th generation Tennessean. My family came to Tennessee about the same time as UT was formed. I was born a Tennessee fan.

I first remember Condredge Holloway. I heard John Ward call games before that. But the Condredge era was when I first began to understand football, I was 13 or so.

My predecessors took the Carolinas (pre Revolutionary War) eventually all the way to Mississippi migration pattern and ended up in Tennessee sometime around 1820/30… it’s where they decided to land, because it was the best..records are iffy at times especially through the women I’ve found, also people didn’t stay put.. you had to go where you could farm or sharecrop.. it was a hard life for many, despite what you see in the movies lol

 

[Tman44]

I was born in Augusta and raised a UGA fan. When UT and DOE said they'd pay my tuition and give me some spending money, I chose UT over many other schools. My blood turned orange on September 14th 1991 and has remained orange ever since.

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

I am sure somewhere along the way there has been a thread like this one. I'm just curious and figured it would make for some good stories while we wait on Saturday. Were you born into being a Tennessee fan or just decided one day that you liked Tennessee.

My story: My dad grew up in Cleveland, TN. He is obviously a lifelong Tennessee fan. I was born into it and never thought for a second to like any other team.

born. grew up in fl, but father is from oliver springs, tn. when tbs sports (i know i'm old) started showing UT games in the 80s on a regular basis, that was the nail pin for me.

 

[ArdentVol]

Born into it. My biological father's side of the family are from Knoxville. Dad went to Knox West High School. My grandfather worked for the Knox News Sentinel and would draw what some of the older fans would know as Dyergrams on game day. We didn't get to go to a lot of games growing up but the ones we did get to attend, no matter who they played, felt like we were living a dream. Listening to John and Bill call the games, Pride of the Southland, players running through the T. Those things just imprinted on my DNA. Rocky Top will always be home sweet home to me. Go Vols.

loved those dyergrams and a west hs grad

 

[tnvolsball]

My dad baptized me Into the vol nation young, from the time I was 5 I listened to the games with him on the radio starting in 1959 until he went home in 1978

 

[allstar34bd]

Maybe you've been in a coma, but I have great news. The Braves are reigning World Series Champs!

Same teams here since the early 80's as a kid - Vols (basketball first, football second), Braves, Lakers, and Broncos.

Was born into Vols and Braves fandom.

I chose the Lakers (Magic, Worthy, Divac) and Broncos (Elway) because I loved the players.

Still passionate about the Vols and Braves. Could care less about the Lakers (whiny Lebron) and Broncos (replaced by Titans).

All in all, things are looking positive for all my favorites right now. Vols basketball and football are as exciting as ever thanks to Barnes and Heupel. Titans are annual playoff team. Braves are right back near the top of baseball with a core of young stars that are locked up for the next decade. Boom!

I was mostly being sarcastic GO BRAVES!

 

[UTFanHades]

Born into it in Knoxville. Parents were fans and a UT grad. I grew up attending football games from ‘90’s until I went to UT. Sat in the rowdy section M of the South end zone. Double alum who never missed a home football or basketball game. I’m thrilled we’ve got 3 great major men’s programs and some solid women/minor programs. Future is finally looking bright.

 

[mudhen]

I believe that there are 2 types of college football fans; kids who went to the school and people who were from the state/ area. I honestly believe that non student lifers are more honest fans than the college kids. They remember the four years that they were in Knoxville, but we remember the different eras, the great players of the past , and the classic games.

 

[nomads-11]

Definitely born into it, though there were some choices along the way. My dad was originally from TN, his sister lived in the Knoxville area, so it was a pretty easy choice.

 

[iuvol]

Born and raised in Indiana, big IU basketball fan. Basketball king in Indiana. Moved to Tennessee 40 years ago. Already liked UT, parents from 75 miles north west of Knoxville, had uncles big UT fans. Started reading the Nashville Banner daily. UT covered, that is all it took.

 

[Remy]

I have absolutely no statistics to back this up, but I can’t
help but think that as much as the state has grown, and
many of them from the West coast, so has Vol Nation.
All it takes is just one trip to a game at Neyland stadium
and they would be hooked for life.

I lived in LA 15 plus years and the craziest thing is to attend an SC game in the Coliseum or a UCLA game in the Rose Bowl and the home team does something good the majority of the fans applaud, they still do. It's why a lot of kids there really love the SEC atmosphere a lot better.

 

[NcVolfan24]

My father isn't a wealthy fella. He used lots of side jobs to make ends meet. At my age of 12 he started going with a friend to college football venues selling merchandise, and sometimes I would get to go with him. We would arrive early morning, get permits, and start walking through parking lots and tailgates selling hats. Jester style will 3 bells on the ends and cat-in-the-hat style, with some having teams logos. Completely goofy stuff, but man did we sell a lot of hats.

We went to USCe, UNC, UGA, UT, VT, and several others.

When I was 13 he let me begin to sell. This was in 97-98. I went with him to several games, making $100-$200 per game off my sales at that age was a big deal, and fun for me. USCe was always a drag, with rude drunks, and I hated going there. UT was always completely nuts, but without the rudeness.

My favorite place to go was Knoxville.

If tickets were low enough we would run back to the vehicle to store our merchandise at the end of the 1st quarter, buy tickets from a scalper who was giving up for the day (usually $10, sometimes they would give them away that late), and go in the gates for the 2nd and 3rd quarters before returning to get the hats to sell to people on their way out. I went into three games in Neyland in 97-98 and 98-99 combined. We sat at the top of the uppers of course and the stadium would literally shake.

I didn't go to UT as I wanted to play college baseball and got an opportunity at a small North Carolina school. Now, however, we enjoy our 4 seats in BB row 1 that I will never give up. Granted some years I have to sell them all to make ends meet (I'm not that much unlike my father), but I won't ever give up my seats barring complete financial ruin.

I always felt and still always feel at home around Neyland. If you wear orange, you are part of the family. I have no official connection to UT football or the school, but anyone that knows me will define me partly by my large fandom of the Vols. My kids know they can't do the gator chomp or cheer for Alabama in this house, and they cried when I told them we had to sell the tickets this year and couldn't go to the Florida game. We will be watching from home and that will be okay this time around.

Vol megafans come from all kinds of places and have all types of origin stories, I assure you that.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

When I went to my first game... alone.. as an out of state student in 1978... And the T split and 85,000 fans went nuts (10 times the size of my hometown in Kentucky) I was hooked. I knew I was home. GBO

 

[kavolunteer]

Growing up in the 80s, my family did not watch a lot of sports so I was free to choose who I wanted. I was from Tennessee so the Vols were the obvious choice in college football. The Steelers wore the same colors as my high school so I jumped on their wagon. Don Mattingly was the hot new baseball star and became a lifelong Yankees fan.

 

[SayNoToJorts]

Born and raised in Ohio. However, for 1/2 of 6th grade I lived in Knoxville. In 1966 I sold Cokes up and down the steps of Neyland via a children’s home. Been sold every since GBO

Love this. GB

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

A little of both. Born and raised in Tn by native Virginians. And if you arent aware many of them are Virginians first...work brought them to Tennessee but their hearts were with any Virginia team.

So until i was 12 i was barely aware of UT football and honestly liked the guys voice i heard on the radio one Saturday afternoon. This was a few years before the 85 Sugar bowl but stsrted listening on Saturdays.

The Jeff Powell run hooked me.


PS the voice was of course John Ward

 

[peaygolf]

Born into it……

grandmother went to UT in the late 30’s and told me stories of Cafego and Molinski. She and some others took a train to the Rose Bowl that year. Season tickets from ‘73-‘85.

my blood runs “Red and White,” but there is a huge sport in my heart for UT…. and one other school.