Tennessee football’s fans are why College GameDay is headed to Knoxville for Florida

For the first time since 2016, Tennessee football is hosting ESPN’s College GameDay. Just like that year, GameDay will be on Rocky Top for the Vols’ matchup with the Florida Gators. The network revealed its location Sunday on Twitter.

Before 2016, GameDay’s last time in Knoxville was way back in 2012, and it was another matchup between the Vols and the Gators. That was the first time since 2004, when they hosted the Auburn Tigers. Simply put, there have been wide gaps in this series.

However, it wouldn’t seem to be the matchup that draws this in. Nobody expects Tennessee football or Florida to win the East. Although it’s a top 25 game, the same is true with the Clemson Tigers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons this week, and both are undefeated.

Heck, even in SEC play, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas A&M Aggies are also both in the top 25. Then you’ve got two other games involving at least one top 25 team in which both teams are undefeated. What could be drawing them to Knoxville, then?

It’s obviously the fans. Ironically, fan anger is what kept GameDay away from Knoxville in 1998 after a comment Chris Fowler made about Big Orange Country when Peyton Manning lost the Heisman to Charles Woodson. That anger was based out of passion.

Such passion is exactly what’s drawing them to Knoxville now. Tennessee football just sold out against a MAC opponent, the worst team on its schedule and one of the worst teams in all of FBS play, the Akron Zips. They are already sold out for Florida.

Does anybody think Wake Forest is going to draw the same crowd at home? Arkansas and Texas A&M could with the game in Arlington and both fan bases passionately showing up, but given the way fans are upset with Jimbo Fisher right now, apathy could creep in on their side.

Both the Vols and Gators are riding high right now, though. UT fans are thrilled about the future under Heupel with their 3-0 start, and although Florida is 2-1 and has looked awful the last two weeks, they are in a honeymoon phase with a new head coach in Billy Napier.

No, it’s not the same as it was in 2016, when the Vols were SEC East favorites, Florida was defending SEC Champions and both teams were undefeated. However, it still has enough to generate a ton of enthusiasm. It’s in the CBS primetime slot for a reason.

Anybody who has followed the sport the past 30 years has likely been thirsting for this once-cherished rivalry to return to its glory days, and that expectation lies with the Vols, who haven’t held up their end. They have lost 16 of 17 to Florida and five straight.

All signs point to this being the year they end the streak, though. If Tennessee football doesn’t do it this year, it never will. Combine that with the fan passion on both sides, the environment with things like Checker Neyland and just the history of this series, it makes sense for College GameDay to head to Rocky Top.