A Student's Perspective (Warning - Long)

Perspective is something that comes only with the passage of time; you can not wish it into existence. I have been a faithful member of the Big Orange Nation since 1967, with less frequent exposure to our program during the preceding two years. During that time period, I watched Doug Dickey restore Tennessee to national prominence, then witnessed the decline of our program during the late Battle/early Majors era, and its ascension to even greater heights during the last years of Coach Majors' tenure and first half of Fulmer's career as head coach, only to bottom out again during the last five years. When you follow a program that long, you realize that every program goes through peaks and valleys.

Top 10 programs, which we are historically, are labeled traditional powers because their peaks are higher and more sustained and their valleys are shorter and less pronounced than most programs. Admittedly, we do not have as many SEC or national championships as Alabama, but we have not had to suffer through a 17-game losing streak (yes, you read that correctly) and, overall, a 20-game winless streak as Alabama did in 1954-56. ‘Bama failed to win a game in 1955 (0-10) and the tidy bowl boys came no closer to victory that year than a 15-point loss to Vandy. Seven of those 17 losses were by shutouts and none of these whitewash defeats were by fewer than 20 points (Alabama Historical Scores). Tennessee fans who remember the painful 11-game losing streak (1971-1982) which we suffered at the hands of Bear Bryant will be delighted to know that Alabama won only one game against the Big Orange in the 13-year period from 1948-1960 (Tennessee vs Alabama 1948-1982). We were 9-1-3 against Alabama during that period.

I raise the latter points for three reasons: (1) Things can always get worse than what we have experienced during the last 5-8 years. (2-3) It's Alabama week and any opportunity to take a serious, legitimate dig at Alabama should be exploited.
 
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$10 tickets. No sympathy.

PSA: to all of you saying $10, add 100 for the fee that's added to tuition to have those. Also add about $20,000/year for tuition. Also add the fact most of us work part-time min wage jobs, or unpaid internships. (Which I understand you guys probably did too, but things are a lot more expensive now than they were then...you should know)

OP I understand what you're saying. Ignore the special ed who don't and are making egregious, and quite frankly a little dumb, comments.
 
I feel your pain, but I have to say - I was a UT student from 1975-1979 & I went to every game (at least as far as I can recall). That was the Bill Battle era, i.e., the losing to North Texas State era, so, while I fully understand what you're saying, I still don't understand why students don't go to games. The only thing I can figure out is that there are more entertainment (cable TV, etc.) options now. Well, that & Neyland is bigger now, so maybe there are a greater # of student seats. Moved to TX after graduation, but moved back to Knoxville in time to see the end of Majors' era (the loss to Spurrier coached Duke), so I've witnessed my fair share of crappy football games. Tell everyone you know to get to Neyland ASAP, we've turned the corner, and if they go now, at least they'll be able to say they were there for the turnaround & also will be in a better position to appreciate what's coming!

Ditto, 73-77 here. Went from Holloway, Morgan, Stanback and company quickly to "The Bill Battle" era. Student section was still full because we loved UT. As someone else stated, we went there not because the team was winning, but to HELP the team win. I for one did not feel that the team owed me anything but their best effort, and in return they received my unswerving loyalty. It makes you appreciate winning all the more.
 
Shoot. My freshman year was 08, Fulmer's last. My last season as a student ended with Dooley. I got to see coach Jones' O&W game before I graduated this past May. I made it a point to go to the first game of the coach Jones era to complete the cycle so to speak. I'm a bit jealous of the freshman this year who get to see this man work and bring UT back during their time on the Hill. However, I fully appreciate every win a ton more now than I did. Wyoming taught me to never underestimate another team. Ever.

+1
 
As you can imagine, I have had to answer this question quite a few times in the last three years on here, but since you ask...

I go into football after watching Super Bowl 40. After getting more and more into football I decided I would research the whole "college" thing, as I wanted to know some of the players before they were drafted.

I researched various teams and got my head around the basics of how the conferences worth etc. I narrowed down my options to Texas (one of the few teams I had heard of), Wisconsin (because of the packers) and Southern Miss (because of Brett Favre).

I decided I would most likely go for Wisconsin because of my many friends who support them, so I spent a lot of the summer of 2011 researching them. But it all changed at a family wedding a few weeks before the season started. At the wedding a few Americans who were there got chatting to me for hours and hours about US sport. It just so happens that one of them is a massive Vols fan who graduated from UT - and when he found out I was searching for a team he spent hours telling me about the traditions at UT and inspired me to research them. I had never considered UT, partly because I had never heard of them....

So the next day I went home and watched the 2010 game against Kentucky on the SEC website. It was a pretty good game from what I remember, so I decided to stick with them going into the season. I then found this forum after the first week of the season, read it for the September month to get an idea of what the fan base was like - I joined that October and the rest is history. The Vols are now my favourite team. :rock:


A fateful conversation, wise decision and fortuitous timing. That continuous roar that you heard at the end of the South Carolina game was as things were in olden times. It was also an ominous warning that the dormant volcano, otherwise known as Neyland Stadium, will soon begin to erupt on a regular basis.

Incidentally, a new sign should be posted on the visiting team's locker room door: "NEYLAND STADIUM RECLAMATION PROJECT IS PROCEEDING AS SCHEDULED. VISITORS ENTER AT THEIR OWN PERIL AND SHOULD PREPARE TO BE CONQUERED."
 
Smokeyx sure goes to a lot of trouble to defend fair weather fandom.

Losing is contagious.

I wonder if the team ever got rid of the virus only to catch it again from the student fans like smokeyx.
 
Well, I totally get what you guys are saying and agree with the OP. The current students don't know. They have never seen what it can be like to a UT and to support the best team in the nation. I graduated in Dec of 99. My years at UT were the best of times. I feel for you guys. I hated losing one or two games a year. I can't imagine being a student and walking back to my place after getting whipped by nearly every team we play. At the same time, I was THERE when we lost to Memphis (with Peyton). That was bad. But we never had it like this before.

Hang in there. I think most folks can see CBJ and staff are turning this thing around. It will take time. My sincere hope is that in the near future, we can shake the Bammers' hands and smile as they head home with a loss.

Soon my friends. Soon.
 
QUOTE=SmokeyX;9360562]A Student's Perspective (Warning - Long)

Dear Volnation,

I started writing this as a reply to another thread, but it got to be a little long so I decided to make my own thread.

I thought Volnation might enjoy seeing things from my perspective, so here goes...

Background

I'm 22 years old (born 1991)
I'm a Senior Mechanical Engineering Major at UT
I grew up in Knoxville
My parents were season ticket holders for most of my childhood
I played 10 years of football and have two state rings

Titles

The last time we won a National Title - 1998 - I was 7 years old

The last time we won a Conference Title - 1998 - I was 7 years old

The last time we won a Divisional Title - 2007 - I was 16 years old

Translation?

We have not been nationally relevant since I was a sophomore in high school

Let that sink in for a minute before moving on



Childhood Experience

Yah, we're awesome!

Everyone who was anyone was a Vols fan and proud of it!

High School Experience

Meh, we're ok.

Most of my friends were fans of other teams… including bama (ugh…)

It wasn't "cool" to be a Vols fan

College Experience

We are terrible. What have we done to anger the football gods?

Being a Vols fan has been downright embarrassing the past few years. Most of my high school friends went to either bama or georgia for college, so yeah… getting together to watch games for the last few years has been painful. Also, my mother's side of the family are all die hard LSU fans…

Just to hammer home my college experience, here's some bold face facts

Since I have been a student at UT...

We have not had a winning season

We have been unranked except for a single week as #25 in 2012

We have been to exactly 1 bowl game, which we lost

We were beaten by a combined 107 - 27 by Oregon in 2010/2013

We were beaten by a combined 122 - 29 by Alabama 2010-2012

We were beaten by a combined 132 - 77 by Florida 2010 - 2013

Until this year, I have not seen a single game where the Vols "gave their all for Tennessee"

Every year, I have watched as a flood of "fans" left the stadium in the 3rd/4th quarter

We didn't beat a ranked opponent until October of my senior year


We were beaten by Kentucky with a WR as a QB

We were curb stomped by ****** VANDY!



So, for all of those repeatedly calling out the students and saying "well in my day…", heed this. I've sat in the student section in every home game for four years for every snap. For every student who came in when I did, all we've known is losing. All we've known is heartbreak. We didn't have the privilege of seeing Peyton play. We didn't get to see a nationally relevant team. We didn't get to enjoy beating any of our rivals. We didn't get to see the Vols win at anything. Instead we got Dooley and the amazing disappearing vols. It's been the norm for us to play for a half or a quarter of a game and then fold like a cheap tent. So excuse me if I don't blame my fellow classmates for not coming to games. or being apathetic.

Butch certainly has the team on the right track and is doing all of the right things. However, the taint of the last few years isn't going to magically disappear. We are going to have to build this team back "brick by brick", and teach this team how to win. This includes the fans! When we beat South Carolina, most of the students had no idea how to celebrate. Trust me, the excitement is there. The desire is there. We just have to let Butch show us the way to win.

For the student section to be back and rocking like it used to be...

We don't even have to win!
We just have to have a reasonable expectation to be competitive (i.e. not quit halfway through a game or get beat like dogs)

Moral of the story?

Cut us some damn slack. It's been a tough few years to be a student fan.

So, that's my $0.02. I hope it gives a few of you some perspective

Sincerely,

SmokeyX[/QUOTE]

:good!::peace2: We are heading down the right path, my biggest piece of advise on how to celebrate is just go with it.
 
When I was at UT, we had not won a national championship in my lifetime. I have attended games since I was 5 years old. I continue to go even though I have moved away a bit. I don't go just to see us win. I go to help us win.

Exactly!!! Believe it - When you go and you make noise and you stay - you truly do help us win...especially with this very special team. All of you lucky enough to be a part of this at Neyland - you will never forget it!!! :dance2: In 30 years you'll be on Volnation sounding like... :birgits_giggle:
 
Smokeyx sure goes to a lot of trouble to defend fair weather fandom.

Losing is contagious.

I wonder if the team ever got rid of the virus only to catch it again from the student fans like smokeyx.

SmokeyX is definitely a true and loyal fan - I quote his original post: " I've sat in the student section in every home game for four years for every snap. "
 
Smokey X is a great young fan. Hang in there SmokeyX help is on the way. By 2015 we will be winning 10 games or more a year.

Remember the student section is the heartbeat of Neyland. We all are looking to y'all. Make us proud! Be loud and proud!
 
I will be a freshmen in college next year and hopefully attending UT. I feel like I might be arriving there at the perfect time.

Also you better believe I will be in Neyland every chance I get to cheer on the Vols! Strangely, it seems like my love for this team has grown even more over their darker days since I never truly got to experience the teams of the late 90s since I had no clue what was going on.

Anyway, here's to the better days ahead!
 
I for one completely feel sympathetic towards the plight that the UT students have had to endure the past 4 years. I graduated in 1996 so it was a completely different environment. Blame the one man who brought Tenn football down, Mike Hamilton.

I told all of my UT and Bama buddies (who relate to our rent failures) that I could not be more happy for the seniors and the students that we finally got a coach who knows what he is doing and can get us back to our winning ways.

Good times are on the horizon.
 
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While on that subject, do students even have to walk to class anymore? I had my psych classes on the Hill and had to walk forever to get there. I've wondered if students even have to go to class anymore. Getting up and going at the crack of dawn is probably lost on many students today, if I had to guess.


Woahhhhh what's this? they don't have to? My God my entire choice in study probably changed because I got stuck with a 7am in the Nuclear building before it was finally closed down. Worst morning hike ever.....
 
I don't know. How do you research papers? Google and you are done. We had to hike it to the library. I also assume there are many online classes where students don't have to get themselves up and moving. Or send one student to take notes and email to erybody else.

The technology raises the standards as well. It works both ways. Research may be easier to find, but you damn sure better have a lot if it.

Try handing in a paper from the 80's and you'll be laughed at.
 
The technology raises the standards as well. It works both ways. Research may be easier to find, but you damn sure better have a lot if it.

Try handing in a paper from the 80's and you'll be laughed at.

Also getting your paper run through the plagiarism check online is fun.

One old guy spreading a bunch of crap around when he has no clue.
 
I sat through Wade, Kevin, Jerry. Upon starting at UT, I sat through Buzz ball night in, night out.

You'll be ok. Just keep going.
 
I began UT in 1997. I graduated in 2002. I am not a superstitious person but it seems to me that you're bad luck.

I'm kidding.

I cant imagine Neyland as a student other than what I saw during my tenure. It is a shame that so many recent students will never know the insanity that was attending UT during those winning years.
 
The technology raises the standards as well. It works both ways. Research may be easier to find, but you damn sure better have a lot if it.

Try handing in a paper from the 80's and you'll be laughed at.

Not to be too argumentative but there is emerging research that suggests the opposite. While entrance GPAs are getting higher across the spectrum, recent enrollees are actually less prepared academically than even a decade ago. The hypothesis here is called grade creep.

Similarly there is research to suggest that readily available information, and info overload (thanks Google), actually correlates inversely with knowledge retention.

It seems that the easier information is to obtain, the less it means to your brain.

I guess that could be said about anything in life: the easier things are, the less meaningful they become.
 
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There is nothing better than being on campus after a big win. Hopefully those will start happening more often. Knoxville will riot if we beat Florida next year.

One if the best nights of my UT career was the Florida win in 2001. Yes it was an away game, and yes a huge mob of students rushed the stadium from all over campus to tear down the goalposts.

Damn I'd forgotten about that. Tons of people were also at the track to greet the team when they got off the bus. Too bad Clausen had to f it all up by getting off the bus with roses in his mouth. I knew we were screwed the moment I saw that.
 

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