On many a Saturday in the fall, more than 100,000 of the Tennessee football team's closest friends squeeze into Neyland Stadium. And given the Volunteers' home-attendance numbers in their national-championship season, those folks had better be close friends with each other, too.

Average attendance at Tennessee's six home games in 1998 was 106,914. That's impressive turned out-and-out Orange-clad crazy when you consider Neyland Stadium seats 102,854.

The math: The Vols played to 104 percent capacity at the second-largest college stadium in America (only Michigan's expanded stadium seats more).

Add to that a national title in one of the game's most appealing settings, and you've got what UT fans have come to expect and demand from Knoxville's home team: a winner.

The Sporting News; 7-26-99

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