Country's Beloved College Football Team, the Tennessee Volunteers, Prepare for Opening Game of the Season Against Chattanooga

It's almost September - and you know what that means...

The new College Football season is, at long last, underway, with a host of teams having already opened their account earlier this week. The Tennessee Volunteers, a team that has inspired a plethora of stellar country songs over the years and boast one of the most star-studded fanbases in the Southeastern Conference, will kick off their campaign on Saturday (August 31) at 12:45pm ET.

Although Morgan Wallen - arguably the Vols’ most vocal supporter within country music - is currently across The Pond as he continues his 2024 European tour, we'll be keeping an eye out for other chart-topping Vols fans this weekend.

Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney and Dolly Parton are all ardent fans of the Volunteers, with Kelsea and Kenny cheering on the team alongside Morgan and legendary quarterback, Peyton Manning, back in 2022 ahead of the infamous Alabama game.

The Volunteers’ first game of the season will take place on home turf at their iconic Neyland Stadium, which will welcome Morgan Wallen for a blockbuster double-header later in September. Josh Heupel's formidable squad will come up against the Chattanooga Mocs on Saturday, with the Vols heading into the encounter as favourites.

As it's the first game of the season, there are a slew of exciting celebrations and parties planned ahead of kick-off, with Truly's Tailgate set to open its doors from as early as 8:45am. The much-loved Vol Village starts at 9:15am, before the renowned Vol Walk gets underway later that morning at 10:30am. This will be followed by the traditional Pride of the Southland Band march and subsequent performance, which will pave the way for the national anthem and flyover at 12:35pm.

With their stadium located just two hours from Music City, it's perhaps no surprise that the Volunteers have played - and still play - such a prominent role in contemporary country music. Hit songs such as Morgan Wallen's ‘Had Me By Halftime’ and ‘Tennessee Fan’, Megan Moroney's ‘Tennessee Orange’ and Conner Smith's ‘Orange and White’ and ‘I Hate Alabama’ all pivot playfully around the Vols. In 2023, Dolly Parton performed the Volunteers’ trademark song, ‘Rocky Top’, at Neyland.

Hilariously, in the lead-up to releasing his brand new album, About a Woman, last week, Thomas Rhett competed with his wife, Lauren, to see who would sell more vinyls. TR was offering Georgia Bulldogs-themed LPs, while Lauren's vinyls were coloured in honour of the Tennessee Volunteers - and she ultimately won out.

It's safe to say the Tennessee Volunteers have built up a fiercely loyal fanbase, and as we stand on the cusp of the new season, there's no telling how many more chart-topping songs and unforgettable stories will be sparked in the months to come.

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