KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Anyone walking on Cumberland Avenue Saturday morning could hear a familiar echo — "Go Vols."
The hype from Tennessee beating Alabama carried over to the homecoming game against UT Martin. Vols fans were hyped even before the game started.
"I still think we have the possibility to win the national championship," one Vols fan said.
Another fan walked down The Strip, near the University of Tennessee campus, carrying a few pizza boxes ready to deliver to a watch party.
"We’re really excited. We beat 'Bama. It’s just the rest of the season now," she said.
By noon, Vols fans had swept to the sold-out Neyland Stadium to watch their favorite teams.
"This football season has been absolutely crazy," said Parker Wean, LiterBoard's head of security.
Businesses on Cumberland Avenue said that with so many wins on the Vols' record this year, they’re gathering bigger crowds.
"This is probably the busiest consecutively I've seen Knoxville in years," Parker said.
"We're definitely seeing record sales," said Joseph Smith, who owns The Half Barrel and Tapp'd on The Strip.
A Knoxvillian who saw the 1998 national championship said the atmosphere now is a little different because Vols fans didn’t have to wait so long for a big win back then.
"I think the expectations weren’t so hyped as it is now because of the drought," the Vol fan said.
She said the city is feeling a lot like '98 this year and businesses on Cumberland agree.
"Football season gets people excited, and we all also always have to staff up," Smith said.
LiterBoard’s head of security said they bring more security during gameday nights.
"Staff and stuff like that — it can be quite difficult," Parker said. "Just because we have so many people coming in now. It's very chaotic."
He also said gameday nights are usually highly staffed.
"In between the police force here in Knoxville and our bouncing staff, we keep everything very controlled," he said.
After Saturday's win, Tennesseans continue to ride on a high while waiting for Kentucky next weekend.