Tennessee dropped six places in USA TODAY's 2026 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards, falling from No. 4 to No. 10 on the list of best colleges for sports fans. The ranking lands just before Knoxville turns into a sea of orange for the Volunteers' home opener against Furman University on Sept. 5.
The Vols also claimed a top 10 spot in Best College Sports Traditions, landing at No. 9 for the Vol Navy, ahead of the University of Alabama and behind Ohio State University. Auburn took the No. 1 spot on both lists, with Rolling Toomer's Corner named the best tradition in college sports.
The drop in the rankings
Tennessee's slide from No. 4 to No. 10 marks a significant fall in a single year. The 2025 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards had placed the Vols fourth overall. This year's list puts Tennessee behind Auburn, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, Miami, Ohio State, Alabama, UCLA and USC.
The rankings come from USA TODAY's readers, who vote in the annual 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards. The list measures overall fan experience, not just on-field success. Tennessee still made the cut despite the six-spot drop, keeping the program inside the top 10 for a second consecutive year.
Checker Neyland
One of Tennessee's most visible traditions, Checker Neyland, turns the stadium into a giant alternating orange and white checkerboard. The practice began in 2014, using seating sections to mirror the checkerboard pattern painted in Neyland Stadium's end zones.
The tradition took a four-year hiatus between 2017 and 2021. Since its return four years ago, it has become a fixture of the football season. The 2026 Checker Neyland game is scheduled for Sept. 26, when the Vols take on the Texas Longhorns. Fans can check CheckerNeyland.com to see whether they should wear orange or white for the game.
Running through the 'T'
Just before kickoff, the Pride of the Southland Band forms Tennessee's "Power T" on the field as its final pre-game formation. The football team then runs through the shape while the crowd in Neyland Stadium erupts.
The tradition dates back to 1965, according to the NCAA, making it over 60 years old. The Vols skipped it in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has resumed every season since.
Rocky Top
"Rocky Top" has become so tied to Tennessee football that it now serves as a nickname for the university itself. Felice and Boudleaux Bryan wrote the song in 1967, and The Osborne Brothers recorded it later that year.
The song debuted on campus in 1972. The Pride of the Southland Band first played it at a game against Alabama on Oct. 21 of that year. It has since become one of the most recognizable songs in college football, played by the band and sung by fans every time the Vols score a touchdown. It has outlasted Tennessee's actual fight song, "Down the Field," in popularity.
Vol Navy
Neyland Stadium sits beside the Tennessee River, which gave rise to one of college football's most unusual gameday rituals: tailgating on the water, known locally as sailgating. Thousands of fans board boats and dock just by Neyland Drive and the stadium, hosting tailgates on the back of their vessels instead of the back of cars.
The Vol Navy is an unofficial tradition entering its 64th year at the start of this football season. It has become so established that it earned Tennessee the No. 9 spot on the Best College Sports Traditions list, ahead of Alabama's Dixieland Delight and behind Ohio State's Script Ohio.
Vol Walk
The Vol Walk kicks off the game before fans even enter the stadium. A little over two hours before kickoff, the Pride of the Southland Band leads the football team through crowds of fans lining the street outside Neyland Stadium. Players high-five, shake hands and hug fans as they make their way into the building.
The walk has become a staple of Tennessee gamedays, drawing thousands of fans who line the route to catch a glimpse of the team before the match begins.
The full lists
USA TODAY's 2026 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards ranked the top 10 colleges for sports fans as follows: Auburn at No. 1, West Virginia at No. 2, Maryland at No. 3, Louisville at No. 4, Miami at No. 5, Ohio State at No. 6, Alabama at No. 7, UCLA at No. 8, USC at No. 9 and Tennessee at No. 10.
The Best College Sports Traditions list placed Auburn's Rolling Toomer's Corner first, followed by Penn State's White Out, Iowa's Hawkeye wave, Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner, West Virginia's "Country Roads" singalong, Wisconsin's "Jump Around," the Army-Navy game's Singing Second, Ohio State's Script Ohio, Tennessee's Vol Navy and Alabama's Dixieland Delight.
Afton Pratt covers trending news for The Knoxville News Sentinel and Tennessee.
According to Yahoo Sports.