KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football fans are ready for the Vols to play in a bowl game in the Volunteer State Thursday at 3 p.m. ET in Nashville.
The Vols will play the Purdue Boilermakers in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium, which is home to the Tennessee Titans.
University of Tennessee-Knoxville alumnus and VFL Jayson Swain will host the Big Orange Tailgate, and portions of the proceeds from tickets sold will go toward a scholarship fund for UT students.
Ticket sales close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday.
UT-Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman will be at the tailgate, as well.
In 2021, UT has sent its basketball teams to the NCAA tournament, its baseball team to the College Baseball World Series, and now the football team is heading to a bowl game after going 3-7 and missing the cut last season.
"The sky's the limit," Swain said. "We're on the right path with the right people."
Swain said he's especially impressed with how the football team fought this year.
"This team, to go from expected to win three or four games to win seven with the chance to win eight is really unheard of," said Swain. "I didn't expect it at all to be honest."
Lifelong UT fan and 2018 graduate Erice Bailes said he's ready for the big day. He will wear his UT socks, his lucky hat, and his alarm will play Rocky Top.
"Whatever they do, I'm going to be rooting for UT," said Bailes.
"I went to a good portion of the games that were at Neyland this year," said Bailes. "It just made me so excited to be back in the game and the stadium."
If you can't make it to Nashville, the game will air on ESPN. The network said UT is favored to win this one by 5.5 points.