Tennessee football: Black uniforms vs. Kentucky a brilliant decision for multiple reasons

Dark mode is coming back! Tennessee football is going to wear its black uniforms once again this Saturday when the Vols face the Kentucky Wildcats. Since it’s a night game, this could have Neyland Stadium rocking on a level similar to where it was two weeks ago.

Rocky Top wore its dark mode uniforms twice last year, for a noon game against the South Carolina Gamecocks and a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff against the Georgia Bulldogs. They had white helmets both times to go with black jerseys and pants.

This time, though, they are wearing all black, including the helmets. It follows them wearing their Smokey Greys for the first time since 2017 three weeks ago at the LSU Tigers. Tennessee football revealed the uniform combination Tuesday on Twitter.

Of all the gimmicks the Vols do, there is not a more fitting one than dark mode at this time. It’s the Saturday night before Halloween against a ranked opponent. UT already gives off the Halloween vibe with its shade of orange, and introducing black with it maximizes that.

If you need any proof, go back and look at how memorable the black jerseys were in 2009 when Lane Kiffin pulled them out. Those were on Halloween night specifically as the Vols beat South Carolina in what would be their last win over a ranked team in four years. That year, they had black jerseys with orange pants.

There is much more sophistication to the black jerseys this time, and it should have fans more excited than ever. The crispness of Fall in Knoxville and all the Halloween vibes that come with a night game on Rocky Top make these black jerseys epic.

More importantly than that, though, this is a brilliant move by Danny White for what will happen on the field. Tennessee football needs something to make sure the fans and players are as pumped about playing this game as any other.

Although Kentucky is ranked, that could be difficult. The Vols are No. 3 in both polls and double-digit favorites. They also have to visit the Georgia Bulldogs in a week, a much more imposing team. Combine that with UK coming off a bye, and this could be dangerous.

As a result, the Vols need every reason in the world to be excited about this game, and that includes the fans. What better way to do that than the black uniforms and a Halloween setting at night? This is the type of game that makes Neyland Stadium more dangerous than any other place for a road team.

Then, of course, there is the recruiting factor. Prospects were on hand to witness what the Vols’ fan base was like as they beat the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide. Now they get to see how epic of a setting it would be for them to wear black jerseys in this moment.

Taking all of that into account, Tennessee football should benefit greatly from this move. When Kiffin did it on Halloween 13 years ago, the Vols weren’t a top five program. Both games last year were in the afternoon and not as meaningful. Bringing in dark mode here keeps up the magnitude that was there for Alabama and Florida.