College Football Cheerleaders Make Strong Statement With Outfits on Saturday

The No.8-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (4-1) played host to the Florida Gators (3-2) for Saturday's Week 7 matchup.

It marked the school's first home game at Neyland Stadium since the Vols' 71-0 win over Kent State on Sept. 14.

In between, Knoxville and the greater Eastern Tennessee area were impacted by a natural disaster that wreaked havoc across the region.

Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26, devasted the southeastern United States and has killed over 230 people, according to ABC News .

As the remnants of the storm moved north, it brought severe flooding to the mountainous Eastern Tennessee region. According to a USA Today report from Oct. 9 , the death toll there has reached 17 people, with over 150 still missing across the state.

Amid the ongoing recovery efforts, Tennessee's cheer squad shared their support with a heartfelt message during Saturday's SEC matchup.

A photo shared on X by Knoxville's WBIR Channel 10 showed a pair of Tennessee cheerleaders donning orange t-shirts with the words "Mountain Strong."

The gesture was "in support of Hurricane Helene victims in East Tennesse," according to the outlet.

Last week, the university announced the football team would wear the same "Mountain Strong" message on its uniforms via helmet decals .

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