Josh Pate isn’t budging on Neyland Stadium.
The college football analyst has made Tennessee’s home field his answer for the toughest place to play in the sport, and he’s doubled down on it more than once. Pate first made the case on his “College Football Show” podcast after EA Sports ranked Neyland No. 12 in College Football 26, and he pushed the point again on Wednesday evening with No.
1 Texas set to visit No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday.
“Not only is Tennessee top 10, Neyland Stadium's the toughest place to play in college football,” Pate said.
He didn’t stop there. Pate, who is from Columbus, Georgia, said he had been in the building at its loudest and made clear he wasn’t speaking from a distance.
“I've been there for the best of it,” Pate said. “I shot this myself.
I've been a part of it. Deafening.”
Pate also leaned into the noise around the Vols’ signature soundtrack, saying the constant blast of “Rocky Top” adds another layer for visiting teams.
“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 said opponents hear it all week at practice on loudspeakers, and he described the experience of Tennessee grabbing a late lead as something closer to a natural disaster than a football game.
“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 shared the clip again on social media Wednesday night, three days before Texas plays in Knoxville for the first time.
His view hasn’t changed since. In March 2026, he ranked Neyland No. 1 again on his show and placed 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 that opinion. College Football 27 puts Neyland at No. 8, four spots higher than last year and up from No. 13 in College Football 25. Tiger Stadium sits at No. 1, followed by Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Tennessee’s home results, though, took a hit in 2025. The Vols went 25-4 at Neyland during Josh Heupel’s first four seasons, but last fall they dropped three home games to Georgia, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.
Saturday brings a new test. Texas is 3-0, Tennessee is 3-0, and the matchup kicks off at noon ET on ABC. College GameDay will be on campus, and the game is Tennessee’s annual Checker Neyland matchup.
It’s also a first in a few different ways. Texas and Tennessee have never met in the regular season, and their only three previous meetings all came in the Cotton Bowl, with the last one taking place in 1969.
Texas beat Ohio State 24-23 earlier this month, while Tennessee has put at least 42 points on the board in each of its three games.
For Arch Manning, Saturday will be a first too. The Texas quarterback, whose uncle Peyton Manning played at Tennessee, has never attended a Tennessee game, and this will be his first time inside Neyland Stadium.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Sees One Big Edge For Tennessee Against Texas
Nick Saban took a first look at Tennessees matchup with Texas during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and his focus quickly settled on the part of the Vols offense that has become such a defining feature under Josh Heupel. He pointed to Tennessees running game as an important edge and tied it directly to the structure and tempo of Heupels system, which has long been built to stress defenses and keep them on their heels.
Saban also spent time on Texas, where the biggest question in his view centers on Arch Manning and the Longhorns ability to create explosive plays downfield. It sets up an intriguing early storyline for a game with plenty of attention already attached to it, and Sabans full breakdown is slated to air Saturday morning on ESPNs College GameDay. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Suddenly Faces A Serious Situation With Key Defensive Assistant
Tennessees defensive staff is dealing with an unexpected off-field concern after the program announced that linebackers coach William Inge has been hospitalized because of a personal medical issue. The university asked for privacy for Inge and his family while also thanking supporters for their prayers, a reminder of how quickly football can take a back seat when a coachs health becomes the priority.
Inge has been an important part of Tennessees recent defensive work, helping guide a unit that has developed into one of the teams strengths and played a role in the growth of linebackers such as Arion Carter. For a staff that leans heavily on continuity and communication, his absence is a significant situation to monitor while the program waits for more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
College GameDay Is Bringing Another Big Stage Moment To Tennessee
Tennessee is getting another national showcase this weekend, with ESPNs College GameDay set to broadcast from the University of Tennessee campus before the Volunteers matchup with No. 1 Texas. The show will air Saturday morning from the lawn of Ayres Hall and inside Neyland Stadium, adding another spotlight moment to a setting that already figures to be loud, bright and packed with anticipation.
Johnny Knoxville will serve as the celebrity guest picker, giving the pregame spectacle a distinctly Tennessee flavor. The GameDay crews trip also brings the program back into a familiar lane with the Vols, who have had their share of moments on the show over the years, and now get another chance to turn a big-game atmosphere into a full-blown campus event. [Read more 🡒]