Allow me to be a part of the conversation about Tennessee supposedly pumping in crowd noise during the Vols win over Alabama – if I may.
First, it is almost comical that Tennessee had to release a statement about not having artificial noise piped into Neyland Stadium on Saturday when the Vols beat Alabama 24-17 in a thrilling, comeback win over the Crimson Tide. Some, including Alabama radio announcer Chris Stewart, wondered aloud if the 100,000-plus fans on site were just that loud when the Vols turned the Tide.
“Second-and-16 is not what you’re looking for, especially with the noise level being what it is here,” Stewart said during the broadcast. “You’ve got 100,000-plus and they also pipe in crowd noise as well.”
As absurd as that is, it’s not completely unwarranted. There are legendary tales that Tennessee’s athletic department had jet engines stationed outside Neyland Stadium in 1998 when the Vols beat Florida en route to its first national championship in 47 years.
There is also plenty of evidence of artificial noise, via cowbells, that can be heard on any given Saturday in Starkville, Miss., when Mississippi State is on the field. Therefore, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Tennessee, or any other school, could make things louder with megaphones instead of megafans. However, that’s not the case per several sources.
“I have been places where they do pump in the crowd noise,” Tennessee coach Alec Abeln said during the Knoxville Quarterback Club meeting on Monday. “It is 100-percent legit in that building.”
Artificial crowd noise, however, wasn’t the case in 1998 nor on Saturday. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel has harnessed into something that he knew would be valuable, but probably never realized just how strong his home field advantage could be.
The Vols’ fan base was deafening and clearly had an impact on the game, as Alabama struggled to communicate on offense, especially when the Vols got jazzed in key moments. Alabama was called for 15 penalties, including three false starts against the Vols.
The enthusiastic fan base has also led to the Vols picking up two commitments for the 2026 class. The entire scene is a reminder that Tennessee’s greatest strength has been the perfect backdrop for Heupel, who was questioned about his recruiting ability before being hired by the Vols before the 2021 season.
Heupel has been able to lean on Tennessee’s strengths, which include Neyland Stadium, elite facilities and NIL funds, to be one of the better recruiters in the nation. Now, things can just get better.
With Alabama coach Nick Saban out of the SEC, there is reason to think Tennessee can go toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide for some of the top prospects in the nation – and win those battles. No, the Vols didn’t need artificial noise for that. Neyland Stadium and Tennessee’s fan base provided all the buzz needed for the Vols to beat Bama and continue to have success in recruiting.
