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Tennessee announces return of ‘Checker Neyland’ for Saturday’s game against Georgia
By Cody McClure
Published:
“Checker Neyland” is returning to Rocky Top on Saturday when Tennessee hosts No. 7 Georgia for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.
This is a fairly new tradition that the Volunteers first implemented in 2014 for the Florida game. Basically, fans either wear orange or white depending on what section they are in, and it creates a checkerboard look in the crowd.
It all started when Tennessee fan Spencer Barnett shared a photoshopped image on Twitter.
The Vols lost that first contest to the Gators, 10-9. The next season, Tennessee tried it again, but lost to Oklahoma 31-24 in overtime. Finally, in 2016, the checkered stadium curse was broken as the Vols took down Florida 38-28 and ended an 11-year losing streak to the Gators.
The official Tennessee Football Twitter account made the announcement on Monday evening:
Saturday is the day. #CheckerNeyland returns to Rocky Top 🍊
Find your color at https://t.co/cvz4moNKHE pic.twitter.com/8LG3CmZ08N
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 25, 2017
Tennessee fans can find out what color to wear for Saturday’s game here. The Vols will need all the help they can get from the crowd when the unbeaten Bulldogs roll into town.
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
