College Football’s Top 50 Fanbases

14. Tennessee

The good

By almost every metric, Tennessee is one of the most impressive brands in college athletics. Rocky Top is a cherished anthem and the Vol Nation is active in voicing their support (or lack thereof) for their team with gusto.

The bad

A series of unfortunate coaching hires have stumped the Vols’ upside in the 21st century. All of the facilities, administrative support and fan fervor can’t outdo the negative impacts of having the wrong man on the sideline.

The bottom line

The math doesn’t add up Tennessee’ s extended downturn. Programs around the nation would happily trade for the level of commitment and fandom experienced by the Volunteers’ program. But Tennessee hasn’t been able to get out of their own way.

Broken coaching searches and internet mocking are more indicative of where Tennessee has been in recent past than their 1998 national title. There’s no reason the Vols won’t turn it around.