Ten fan bases ready to erupt

[Bvols48]

Found this on Yahoo site its from YardBarker who ever they are. I cannot agree more on this. Tennessee fans are ready to explode!! GBO

#1 Tennessee

Tennessee has one of the loudest, most passionate fan bases in all of college football, and they’ve been waiting nearly two decades to see a title contender in action. Year four of the Butch Jones era could produce that team – if everything works out just right.

Believe it or not, the 2015 team was very, very close to getting over the hump. The Vols, which finished with a 9-4 record, actually could have won every game. Heartbreaking losses to Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama robbed them of their dreams, however.

Neyland Stadium is already one of the most insane venues in college football, and if the team can make it through September unscathed, their fans become a huge asset. Tennessee’s fan base is the one we’re most keeping an eye on this year.

 

[VolForLife83]

YardBarker? Sounds like an ankle biting, lap dog

 

[leftygray]

To say we've been waiting "nearly two decades to see a title contender in action" is an over exaggeration though, wouldn't you say?

 

[Stevorino]

To say we've been waiting "nearly two decades to see a title contender in action" is an over exaggeration though, wouldn't you say?

When I was a student in the early 2000's there was still a feeling that we were national contenders and could/should win every game. I would say that died around 2005ish. So in terms of what our fanbase thought, it's probably just a decade.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

25 points
25 points
25 points
25 points
25 points

UT was so close only a matter of 25 points

I will be glad when the season starts and hopefully the talk of we were so close will go away.

 

[jbr82]

When I was a student in the early 2000's there was still a feeling that we were national contenders and could/should win every game. I would say that died around 2005ish. So in terms of what our fanbase thought, it's probably just a decade.

I agree with your statement. 2005 was a huge let down with the preseason hype. 06 and 07 were contending teams and lost a few should have won imo. UT has been great at pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. Hoping that changes now

 

[SDV]

A link would be appreciated

 

[Crazy Ivan]

A link would be appreciated

10 dormant college football fan bases that could erupt in 2016 | Yardbarker.com

 

[VFL-82-JP]

There's an insult hidden behind the article's praise of the Vols fan base. The insult is that we're among the fair-weather type. Unlike Nebraska or Notre Dame fans, for instance, which the writer points out show up no matter how the team is doing.

I personally would put Tennessee's fan base in that category.

But the writer doesn't. He says:

The intensity of college football fan bases – even the monstrous ones with a great deal of past success and longstanding tradition – greatly depends upon how well the team is currently performing...There are some fan bases that seem to be unwavering. Nebraska comes to mind, given its ridiculous sellout streak. Notre Dame is another...But they’re the exception to the rule...There are die-hards in every fan base...But most fans, when the team is losing, tend to go a bit quiet while their program is figuring it all out...We’re going to take a look at 10 fan bases that we consider “dormant” – by relative measure. If their team turns into a contender, they’re going to erupt.

So I like the props we get for being passionate when things are going well, but disagree with the categorization when things aren't. We're more like Nebraska than Miami, is all I'm saying.



p.s. What was our attendance in the worst of the Dooley years? If Neyland attendance dipped down to 30,000, 40,000, or even 60,000, I'll eat my words. If the stadium was half-empty, we are indeed more like Miami than Nebraska. But I suspect we were still up in the 80,000 or 90,000 range, even in the worst years. Maybe not sold out, but a lot closer to sold out than half-empty, I'd wager.

 

[OSVolFan]

Anyone who was at the Oklahoma and Georgia games last year knows the fanbase has already erupted. Dormant............we are not.

Just waiting on some of the lesser educated sports writers to catch up to us.

 

[Pump Guy]

Imagine if we had fans like Nebraska and Notre Dame


2015
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 771,174 110,168
2. Ohio St. 7 750,705 107,244
3. Texas A&M 7 725,354 103,622
4. LSU* 6 612,026 102,004
5. Alabama 7 707,786 101,112
6. Tennessee 7 704,088 100,584
7. Penn St. 7 698,590 99,799
8. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
9. Florida 7 630,457 90,065
10. Texas 6 540,210 90,035

2014
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Ohio St. 7 744,075 106,296
2. Texas A&M 6 630,735 105,123
3. Michigan 7 734,364 104,909
4. LSU 7 712,063 101,723
5. Penn St. 7 711,358 101,623
6. Alabama 7 710,736 101,534
7. Tennessee 7 698,276 99,754
8. Texas 6 564,618 94,103
9. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
10. Nebraska 7 638,744 91,249

2013
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 781,144 111,592
2. Ohio St. 7 734,528 104,933
3. Alabama 7 710,538 101,505
4. Texas 6 593,857 98,976
5. Penn St. 7 676,112 96,587
6. Tennessee 7 669,087 95,584
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 639,927 91,418
9. Nebraska 8 727,466 90,933
10. Florida 6 524,638 87,440

2012
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 6 673,511 112,252
2. Ohio St. 8 842,637 105,330
3. Alabama 7 712,052 101,722
4. Texas 6 605,304 100,884
5. Penn St. 7 677,108 96,730
6. Georgia 7 648,922 92,703
7. LSU 8 741,005 92,626
8. Tennessee 7 629,752 89,965
9. USC 6 527,670 87,945
10. Florida 7 613,182 87,597

2011
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 8 897,431 112,179
2. Ohio St. 7 736,618 105,231
3. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
4. Penn St. 7 709,991 101,427
5. Texas 6 603,142 100,524
6. Tennessee 8 757,136 94,642
7. LSU 6 557,210 92,868
8. Georgia 6 555,676 92,613
9. Florida 7 623,429 89,061
10. Texas A&M 7 610,283 87,183

2010
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 782,776 111,825
2. Ohio St. 8 842,221 105,278
3. Penn St. 7 729,636 104,234
4. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
5. Texas 7 704,580 100,654
6. Tennessee 7 698,465 99,781
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 649,023 92,718
9. Florida 7 633,579 90,511
10. Auburn 8 688,692 86,087

 

[leftygray]

I love our fanbase. Through all the down years, heart aches, coaching changes, etc- we fill Neyland and always support the Vols. When I lived in Tennessee, I kind of took that for granted. I live in Augusta, GA now where I interact with USCe and UGA fans on a regular basis. On top of that, I've been seeing tons of bandwagon Clemson fans. This has just made me really appreciate my fellow Tennessee fans. I've been saying for years that this past decade will make things all the more sweet when we finally win another championship.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

That's what I figured, Pump Guy, thanks for the stats. Our worst year in living memory, perhaps the low point in the history of our program...Dooley's final year...we had 90,000 people show up on average to each game.

We are definitely among the always-faithful fan bases. Hidden insult rejected.

 

[AM64]

Imagine if we had fans like Nebraska and Notre Dame


2015
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 771,174 110,168
2. Ohio St. 7 750,705 107,244
3. Texas A&M 7 725,354 103,622
4. LSU* 6 612,026 102,004
5. Alabama 7 707,786 101,112
6. Tennessee 7 704,088 100,584
7. Penn St. 7 698,590 99,799
8. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
9. Florida 7 630,457 90,065
10. Texas 6 540,210 90,035

2014
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Ohio St. 7 744,075 106,296
2. Texas A&M 6 630,735 105,123
3. Michigan 7 734,364 104,909
4. LSU 7 712,063 101,723
5. Penn St. 7 711,358 101,623
6. Alabama 7 710,736 101,534
7. Tennessee 7 698,276 99,754
8. Texas 6 564,618 94,103
9. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
10. Nebraska 7 638,744 91,249

2013
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 781,144 111,592
2. Ohio St. 7 734,528 104,933
3. Alabama 7 710,538 101,505
4. Texas 6 593,857 98,976
5. Penn St. 7 676,112 96,587
6. Tennessee 7 669,087 95,584
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 639,927 91,418
9. Nebraska 8 727,466 90,933
10. Florida 6 524,638 87,440

2012
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 6 673,511 112,252
2. Ohio St. 8 842,637 105,330
3. Alabama 7 712,052 101,722
4. Texas 6 605,304 100,884
5. Penn St. 7 677,108 96,730
6. Georgia 7 648,922 92,703
7. LSU 8 741,005 92,626
8. Tennessee 7 629,752 89,965
9. USC 6 527,670 87,945
10. Florida 7 613,182 87,597

2011
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 8 897,431 112,179
2. Ohio St. 7 736,618 105,231
3. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
4. Penn St. 7 709,991 101,427
5. Texas 6 603,142 100,524
6. Tennessee 8 757,136 94,642
7. LSU 6 557,210 92,868
8. Georgia 6 555,676 92,613
9. Florida 7 623,429 89,061
10. Texas A&M 7 610,283 87,183

2010
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 782,776 111,825
2. Ohio St. 8 842,221 105,278
3. Penn St. 7 729,636 104,234
4. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
5. Texas 7 704,580 100,654
6. Tennessee 7 698,465 99,781
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 649,023 92,718
9. Florida 7 633,579 90,511
10. Auburn 8 688,692 86,087

Thanks for the numbers. One recent article (The 10 Least Fair Weather Fan Bases In College Football) amazed me for just that reason.

The 10 Least Fair Weather Fan Bases In College Football | College Spun

Ten teams is a small number whether you consider all or just major college teams, so selection can be tight. However, for Tennessee fans to put up those numbers for the past several years and not be considered among the least fair weather fans is difficult to comprehend. The list contains AL; why would they even have a reason to be fair weather fans. These articles just don't make a lot of sense far too often.

 

[Black Diamond Vol]

Thanks for the numbers. One recent article (The 10 Least Fair Weather Fan Bases In College Football) amazed me for just that reason.

The 10 Least Fair Weather Fan Bases In College Football | College Spun

Ten teams is a small number whether you consider all or just major college teams, so selection can be tight. However, for Tennessee fans to put up those numbers for the past several years and not be considered among the least fair weather fans is difficult to comprehend. The list contains AL; why would they even have a reason to be fair weather fans. These articles just don't make a lot of sense far too often.

LOL- anyone living here in Chattanooga knows that bammer on that list is an absolute joke. The year before Saban got there, I could've pushed a wheelbarrow full of C-notes up on stage in the middle of Hamilton Place Mall on Black Friday, gotten on the PA, and said, "anyone who will admit to being a bama fan is welcome to come up here and get some of this". I wouldn't have had a single taker. 99% of them can't find Tuscaloosa on a map. Ask them who Saban's predecessor was, they'll answer "Bar Brant" (after you explain to them what "predecessor" means).

 

[MT LeConte]

I'm ready to erupt.

 

[LittleCat]

I will either be throwing remotes at the wall because we are losing or throwing remotes at the wall because we are finally winning. LittleCat is ready to go booooooooooom.

 

[YankeeVol]

I will either be throwing remotes at the wall because we are losing or throwing remotes at the wall because we are finally winning. LittleCat is ready to go booooooooooom.

I didn't know Kentucky fans were that passionate about football

 

[TrueOrange]

Imagine if we had fans like Nebraska and Notre Dame


2015
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 771,174 110,168
2. Ohio St. 7 750,705 107,244
3. Texas A&M 7 725,354 103,622
4. LSU* 6 612,026 102,004
5. Alabama 7 707,786 101,112
6. Tennessee 7 704,088 100,584
7. Penn St. 7 698,590 99,799
8. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
9. Florida 7 630,457 90,065
10. Texas 6 540,210 90,035

2014
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Ohio St. 7 744,075 106,296
2. Texas A&M 6 630,735 105,123
3. Michigan 7 734,364 104,909
4. LSU 7 712,063 101,723
5. Penn St. 7 711,358 101,623
6. Alabama 7 710,736 101,534
7. Tennessee 7 698,276 99,754
8. Texas 6 564,618 94,103
9. Georgia 7 649,222 92,746
10. Nebraska 7 638,744 91,249

2013
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 781,144 111,592
2. Ohio St. 7 734,528 104,933
3. Alabama 7 710,538 101,505
4. Texas 6 593,857 98,976
5. Penn St. 7 676,112 96,587
6. Tennessee 7 669,087 95,584
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 639,927 91,418
9. Nebraska 8 727,466 90,933
10. Florida 6 524,638 87,440

2012
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 6 673,511 112,252
2. Ohio St. 8 842,637 105,330
3. Alabama 7 712,052 101,722
4. Texas 6 605,304 100,884
5. Penn St. 7 677,108 96,730
6. Georgia 7 648,922 92,703
7. LSU 8 741,005 92,626
8. Tennessee 7 629,752 89,965
9. USC 6 527,670 87,945
10. Florida 7 613,182 87,597

2011
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 8 897,431 112,179
2. Ohio St. 7 736,618 105,231
3. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
4. Penn St. 7 709,991 101,427
5. Texas 6 603,142 100,524
6. Tennessee 8 757,136 94,642
7. LSU 6 557,210 92,868
8. Georgia 6 555,676 92,613
9. Florida 7 623,429 89,061
10. Texas A&M 7 610,283 87,183

2010
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Michigan 7 782,776 111,825
2. Ohio St. 8 842,221 105,278
3. Penn St. 7 729,636 104,234
4. Alabama 7 712,747 101,821
5. Texas 7 704,580 100,654
6. Tennessee 7 698,465 99,781
7. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
8. LSU 7 649,023 92,718
9. Florida 7 633,579 90,511
10. Auburn 8 688,692 86,087

I'm not sure that's actually an accurate way to compare/rank those. Notre Dame's stadium, for example, only has a capacity of around 80,700...so even if they had a year of sellouts, they still wouldn't show up on an average attendance list like this; it's more likely in a list like this for a given school to just be dwarfed by either the handful of schools with the largest stadiums or those with already much larger stadiums.

It would probably be more accurate to compare and rank the percentage of stadium attendance (in relation to its capacity) if you're trying to indicate how supportive of unsupportive the fans of any one team are.

(In a similar vein, Nebraska's stadium couldn't even hold more than 85,000 until 2013.)

 

[Volbackhomefromtx]

Imagine if we had fans like Nebraska and Notre Dame

As Pump Guy points out, nowhere do we see Nebraska and Notre Dame in these figures because their stadiums at capacity do not hold crowds large enough to get them into these average ranges. In 2012 when Vol fortunes were at a low ebb, Tennessee still ranked in the Top 10 attendance. Fan loyalty is not an issues for the Vols. However, levels of enthusiasm often reflect either the product on the field or the opposition.

Rarely does the Team ever perform at the expectation level of the fan base. Probably the last time that happened was in 1998.

 

[LittleCat]

I didn't know Kentucky fans were that passionate about football

For such a bad program we have a decent fanbase.

 

[Grand Vol]

For such a bad program we have a decent fanbase.

You really do. And for that I wouldn't mind seeing you in a bowl game for once. Music City or something close.

For crying out loud, just beat Vandy or Florida to get to eligibility!

 

[AM64]

I'm not sure that's actually an accurate way to compare/rank those. Notre Dame's stadium, for example, only has a capacity of around 80,700...so even if they had a year of sellouts, they still wouldn't show up on an average attendance list like this; it's more likely in a list like this for a given school to just be dwarfed by either the handful of schools with the largest stadiums or those with already much larger stadiums.

It would probably be more accurate to compare and rank the percentage of stadium attendance (in relation to its capacity) if you're trying to indicate how supportive of unsupportive the fans of any one team are.

(In a similar vein, Nebraska's stadium couldn't even hold more than 85,000 until 2013.)

Excellent point. A list with the percentage of seats filled would be interesting; but it would probably be to the benefit of some smaller stadiums where even getting a seat is tough - where normal demand well outstrips supply. For example, if the ND faithful slacked off, somebody would still fill the seats. Bristol could easily set the record for football attendance, yet still have empty seats.

Overall, though, this list shows why some schools have large stadiums. They have the rabid fan bases to fill them.

 

[AM64]

LOL- anyone living here in Chattanooga knows that bammer on that list is an absolute joke. The year before Saban got there, I could've pushed a wheelbarrow full of C-notes up on stage in the middle of Hamilton Place Mall on Black Friday, gotten on the PA, and said, "anyone who will admit to being a bama fan is welcome to come up here and get some of this". I wouldn't have had a single taker. 99% of them can't find Tuscaloosa on a map. Ask them who Saban's predecessor was, they'll answer "Bar Brant" (after you explain to them what "predecessor" means).

And now some days you'd swear every other car has an AL flag, decal, or plate.

 

[LittleCat]

You really do. And for that I wouldn't mind seeing you in a bowl game for once. Music City or something close.

For crying out loud, just beat Vandy or Florida to get to eligibility!

Weird season coming up. Potential to disrupt the East given our talent, but could just as easily fall on our face if things don't work out with Barker or the front seven on the other side. UT should coast through the conference, but I'll be hoping UK can manage third or even fourth. Ideally will be 4-2 or 5-1 coming into the last six, and maybe we will get over the hump finally. Would be a great season.