Josh Pate doesn’t have much doubt about where college football gets loudest. For him, the answer is Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, and he’s been saying it with his chest for months.
Pate first made the case on his “College Football Show” podcast after EA Sports slotted Neyland at No. 12 in College Football 26. He wasn’t buying it then, and he’s still not buying it now.
“Not only is Tennessee top 10, Neyland Stadium's the toughest place to play in college football,” Pate said. He repeated that stance again Wednesday evening, with Texas set to walk into Knoxville on Saturday.
He took direct aim at the EA ranking. “I've got all the respect in the world for the folks at EA,” Pate said. “To have Tennessee outside the top 10 of toughest places to play in college football is evidence of drug use.”
The Columbus, Georgia, native said he’s seen the atmosphere up close. “I've been there for the best of it,” Pate said.
“I shot this myself. I’ve been a part of it.
Deafening.”
For Pate, the noise is only part of the problem for visiting teams. He pointed to the song Tennessee fans lean on all game long. “There's also the psychological factor, because 'Rocky Top' is the most annoying sound in the world to anyone who's not a Tennessee fan,” Pate said.
He added that opponents hear it during the week at practice, too, with the song coming through loudspeakers. And when Tennessee grabs a late lead, he says that’s when the whole thing really turns punishing.
“I've never been in an avalanche before, but I imagine Tennessee taking the lead on you in the fourth quarter and 'Rocky Top' blaring during one of the nine-minute commercial breaks, that's what an avalanche of orange feels like,” Pate said.
Pate doubled down on that view when he ranked the sport’s toughest stadiums again in March 2026, leaving Neyland at No. 1 and placing it ahead of LSU’s Tiger Stadium. “At its best, I have never seen anything like it,” Pate said.
EA Sports has moved a little closer to his position since then. College Football 27 now has Neyland at No. 8, up from No. 12 in College Football 26 and up from No. 13 in College Football 25. Tiger Stadium is No. 1, with Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium behind it.
The stadium’s reputation is one thing. Tennessee’s home results last season were another. The Vols went 25-4 at Neyland in Josh Heupel’s first four seasons, but they dropped three home games in 2025, falling to Georgia, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.
That backdrop makes Saturday’s matchup even bigger. No.
1 Texas, 3-0, visits No. 14 Tennessee, also 3-0, in a noon ET kickoff on ABC.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on campus, and the game is Tennessee’s annual Checker Neyland event.
It’s also a first for the Longhorns and Volunteers in the regular season. Their three previous meetings all came in the Cotton Bowl, with the last one back in 1969.
Texas already survived one heavyweight test this month, edging Ohio State 24-23. Tennessee has been rolling offensively, scoring at least 42 points in all three of its games.
Saturday will also be Arch Manning’s first time inside Neyland Stadium. His uncle Peyton Manning played at Tennessee, but Arch has never attended a Tennessee game.
In Other News...
Sooners First Half Meltdown Has Fans Fuming Over One Costly Trend
Oklahomas night against Georgia unraveled early, and John Mateers turnovers were at the center of it. The Sooners handed the Bulldogs extra chances in a first half that quickly turned hostile, with Georgia turning one mistake into an 85-yard fumble return by Chris Cole and later adding a 35-yard touchdown pass from Gunnar Stockton to Talyn Taylor.
David Stones presence up front was at least a small bit of good news for Oklahoma after he entered the game as a gametime decision, but the Sooners still spent too much time reacting instead of dictating. The bigger concern now is obvious: when the offense keeps putting the defense in bad spots, the margin against a team like Georgia disappears fast, and Oklahoma was left staring at a costly trend it could not afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Gets A Timely Boost Before Georgia With Bigger Questions Still Lurking
Oklahoma got a needed lift on the defensive side this week with linebacker Kip Lewis upgraded and expected to play against Georgia after missing recent games because of injury. For a Sooners team heading into one of its biggest tests, getting Lewis back matters not just for depth but for how the defense can line up and handle a physical opponent. At the same time, the availability picture is still far from clean, with Jer'Michael Carter and Trell Harris among the Oklahoma players already ruled out.
Georgia's report offers less clarity than certainty, with several players still tagged questionable or out ahead of the matchup. So while Oklahoma can at least point to Lewis as a welcome return, the larger health picture around both teams keeps a little uncertainty in play as kickoff approaches. The Sooners have taken one step toward getting whole, but there are still enough holes to make this a game worth watching closely before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Power Is One Win From A Record Fans Know Well
Carl Albert kept its remarkable run alive Friday night with a close win over Guthrie, sealed by a late field goal from Kian Floranda. The Titans pushed their winning streak to 58 straight games, matching the Oklahoma 11-man record once set by Bixby, and setting up one more chance to stand alone atop that list.
For a program already carrying a state-record 20 championships, the next game against Noble is now about more than just another line on the schedule. Bixbys standard was built over a stretch from 2018 to 2022, and Carl Albert now has the chance to move past it while adding another chapter to a dynastic run that has long defined the states powers. [Read more 🡒]