Kirk Herbstreit Reveals Team With Best Entrance In College Football

There’s a lot that makes college football great besides just the exciting play on the field.

It could be one or a combination of many things. It might be the bands playing the fight songs, the loud, sometimes obnoxious fanbases cheering incessantly before, during, and even after games, just being inside some of those century-old stadiums, or sometimes, a lot of it has to do with how a team enters the field.

Scattered throughout the country, many teams have unforgettable entrances. There’s Virginia Tech coming into Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Florida State’s Chief Osceola spiking the spear while atop Renegade the horse, or Oregon’s Duck mascot riding a Harley-Davidson into Autzen Stadium with the players behind him.

These, and many more, are all iconic throughout the sport. However, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit has named his favorite in college football: the Tennessee Volunteers “running through the T.”

“Now that Tennessee is back to playing great football, there’s not a better scene than Neyland Stadium, especially at night,” Herbstreit said. “When they go through that Power T, it opens up with the band and the team comes out—what an awesome atmosphere.”

The Vols no doubt have one of the most electric entrances in college football. As soon as it takes place, the environment in Neyland Stadium—which holds over 100,000 fans—comes alive in a big way.

The Tennessee program had begun to become somewhat irrelevant in college football before the 2022 season, coach Josh Heupel’s second in Knoxville.

Tennessee went 11-2 that season, finishing No. 6 in the country. Though they took a bit of a step back last season, finishing 9-4, the team looks promising once again, thanks to former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava becoming the starter. The team also boasts potential top-round 2024 NFL Draft pick, edge rusher James Pearce Jr.

Though Herbstreit’s selection will undoubtedly be criticized, Neyland Stadium has one of the best college football atmospheres in the entire country.