KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Braydon Dixon is a senior at the University of Tennessee and is from Maryland. He said he chose to attend UT partially because he wanted to go to school somewhere in the Southeastern Conference. As he finished his final semester, he described the campus as having an "SEC mentality."
"That's the standard for Tennessee. Whether or not we're good at football, we're going to act like we're the best team in the country," Dixon said.
That mindset has had room to breathe this fall. The 5-1 Vols are currently ranked 11th and have been ranked as high as fourth in the nation during the season. Fans bought all of the season tickets and players on both sides of the ball are the focus of national attention.
The AP's Preseason Top 25 for Men's Basketball also ranked UT 12th in the country and it looks like a good time to be a fan, but Dixon said part of being a Vols fan is expecting the unexpected.
"Every sport, every year, every season, we look so good, and then we fall right off," he said.
Irene Jeong, a sophomore, agreed that part of being a fan meant expecting a tough loss or two. That said, wins are always exciting, and this season's hot start has added to an already engrossing fan culture.
"It doesn't matter who you are, people are just like, 'Oh, we're Vols fans. We're here to enjoy the game, enjoy the vibes,'" Jeong said.
She's from Chattanooga and said UT's lively community is part of why she chose to attend the college.
For 16-year-old Maddox, a Knoxville native, supporting the Vols is a way of life. UT's successes and failures vibrate throughout the community. He's optimistic that this year's football is the beginning of a long, successful run, but with Alabama coming to town, 2022's victory is what's on his mind.
"That time with the field goal, I mean, I didn't even go to school. It was crazy, we were up all night partying. It was fun," he said.
Despite past heartbreaks, including Alabama's 15-1 record against UT under former head coach Nick Saban, Dixon, Jeong and Maddox said they'll be cheering on Saturday.
"Vols by a million," Dixon said.