Moved to Knoxville with family when my father's job transferred him at age 15 right after freshman year of HS. Stayed for HS and attended UT. Was not a fan until I enrolled, but did follow the Vols and would root for them, but through HS I was a Notre Dame fan and had somewhat divided loyalties all through college. The 1991 Miracle in South Bend changed all that. When the Vols got down big, the announcers started dissing us and saying we were clearly not in NDs class. You know the rest. UT no. 1 by a mile ever since then, and although I still root for ND, they are now no. 3 as I did grad school at Purdue. Purdue was my no. 2 team before moving to Knoxville.
I moved in May 1982, was bold enough to predict Tennessee could beat bama that fall, was mocked for saying so, then got a lot of street cred at my HS when it happened lol. Started college in 1985. First game was UCLA, but back then we were on quarters and school started later in the summer and you had to get a real ticket as the first game was not covered by the Student Activity Fee, so I watched that one on TV. UCLA came back and tied it after Vols got up big, IIRC (typical Johnny Majors BS!).
First full game was no. 1 Auburn with Bo Jackson as Heisman trophy favorite RB. I will never forget that game. Atmosphere was electric. Prior to the game people were batting around a bunch of beach balls in the stands, and someone released a rubber chicken hanging (garroted if you wll) from a helium balloon as a mockery of the eagle that Auburn travels with, and it was just floating around the stands well into the second quarter, lol. (Why don't we do stuff like that anymore, or is it just that I am not sitting near the student section these days?).
But it's the result I will never forget. We. Kicked. Their. ASS! Tony Robinson was on fire, they could not stop him. We went up huge, something like 38-10, before giving up two late TDs (more Johnny ball!) for the final of (I think) 38-24. Man was that a glorious day to be a UT football fan. That whole season was magical actually. My memory of the bama game is going shopping for clothes with my mother at Eastgate mall (last time my parents ever bought clothes for me lol, it was a birthday present actually), and hearing "the kick" that bama missed over the intercom at whatever dept store we were in. Longtime fans will recall, Ward ****ed up the call. He originally called it good, then corrected himself. LOL. Then of course Johnny let a mediocre team from Ga Tech tie us 3-3 the next week, or maybe 6-6. More Johnny ball! Then we lost to Florida and T Rob was injured in that game, I believe, and Doug Dickey's son took over, and then .... THE SUGAR BOWL ASS WHIPPING OF MIAMI!!!
What a great season that was to be a freshman. Been hooked ever since. But TBH, I became a bigger fan in the 90s than I ever was in my student days. I think being an alum and watching your team compete on national TV just builds pride, or it did in my case. Plus we were good for the entire decade, which definitely helps!
I was priviliged to be in my 20s during the Vol dominance in the 90s, which is a great time for enjoying such things. I am less into it now, but still a die hard fan.