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The University of Tennessee Traditions
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Nickname 'Volunteers'
The University of Tennessee draws its nickname
Volunteers from the name most associated with the state.
Tennessee acquired its name "The Volunteer State" in the early
days of the nineteenth century in the War of 1812. At the
request of President James Madison, Gen. Andrew Jackson, later
President, mustered 1500 from his home state to fight the
Indians and later the British at the Battle of New Orleans. The
dragoon uniform worn by Tennessee regulars during that conflict
is still seen adorning the color guard at UT athletic events.
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Smokey
No Ordinary Hound! The Pep Club held a contest in 1953 to select
a coon hound, a native breed of Tennessee, as the mascot to
represent the school. Announcements of the contest in local
newspapers read, "This can't be an ordinary hound. He must be a
Houn' Dog' in the best sense of the word." The late Rev. Bill
Brooks entered his prize-winning blue tick coon hound, "Brooks'
Blue Smokey." During halftime of the Mississippi State game, the
candidate dogs were lined up on the old cheerleaders' ramp at
Shields-Watkins Field. Each dog was introduced over the
loudspeaker and the student body cheered for their favorite,
with "Blue Smokey" being the last hound introduced. When his
name was called, he barked. The students cheered and Smokey
threw his head back and barked again. This kept going until the
stadium was in an uproar and UT had found its mascot.
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Neyland Stadium
The No. 1 college football stadium in the country
Last year, The Sporting News named Neyland Stadium as the No. 1
college football stadium in the country. In the stadium
rankings, TSN used four criteria -- setting, structure, fans and
history. Neyland Stadium ranked high in all areas in the poll.
In terms of setting, TSN said, "There is not a better view in
college football. On one side of the stadium is the Tennessee
River, where fans arrive by boat and tailgate hours before
kickoff and hours after the game. On the other side is The Hill,
the historic center of UT's old campus." Naturally the stadium
also received rave reviews. "It's enormous. And it keeps getting
bigger ... the facility is unlike any other in the nation. It
rises straight up from the ground, towering over the playing
field and intimidating opponents with its size." But it is the
Big Orange faithful that also receive strong reviews from the
magazine, noting "Ah, the Tennessee fan. Obsessed and
passionate; maniacal and frightening. Step into Neyland and feel
the orange experience. Neyland Stadium is the nation's second
largest college football stadium with an official capacity of
104,079. Last season, UT drew a record crowd of 018,768 fans for
its contest against Florida and averaged a single-season record
of 107,595 for six home games. The Vols own an all-time record
of 383-17 (.801) at Neyland Stadium including a 5-1 mark in
2000. The Vols have had 70 winning seasons in 79 years in the
stadium, including 35 undefeated years at home including the
1997, 1998 and 1999 seasons.
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Pride of the Southland Band
University of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Band
The University of Tennessee band was organized immediately after
the Civil War when the University reopened. Since then, the
enrollment in the band program has grown to more than 300
students (in all bands) from all colleges of the University. The
most famous of these units is the marching band. The full "Pride
of the Southland Band," appears at all home football games and
most out-of-town games before more than 850,000 spectators plus
millions more on television.
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Orange and White
The "Big Orange," quickly recognized and sported by Volunteers
everywhere. In 1889, Charles Moore, president of the Athletic
Association, decided that for the upcoming field day he would
dress in what he believed were appropriate school colors. His
choice was orange and white, a combination derived from the
common daisy that few profusely upon "the Hill." Moore's
spirited choice had yet to become official, however. Student's
uniforms (UT was a military school at the time) were blue and
white, and the baseball team dressed in red and black. It was
not long before more and more students wore the orange and white
to athletic events. The question was put to the student body in
1892, and, after seesawing back and forth, the students elected
to have the now familiar combination. -- from Volunteer Moments,
Vignettes of the History of The University of Tennessee by
Milton M. Klein.
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