Ode to Vol Twitter: A History of Epic Success
- Ellie Williamson
- Dec 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Ellie Williamson
Dec 13, 2024
Elon Musk might have control — and changed the name to X — but across the College Football landscape, the phenomenon will forever remain ‘Vol Twitter’.
There is no escaping the communication from the faithful Tennessee Volunteer fan base… and its online presence now strikes fear in anyone that dares cross the mission of the Big Orange. It has also been involved in some very special initiatives.
Where did the phenomenon begin? Well, come with me on a winding road of history and hype.
Let’s just go back and say that the first established mark of internet territory came when Vol Twitter stopped the hiring of a football coach in 2017:
And as the Vols continued in the thread, “we aren’t finished yet,” - Rodney Upchurch in 2017.
So what is Vol Twitter? Is it a narrative or is it a family? Yes, there is a family photo filled with all of the PFPs that associate with the online Home of The Vols. (Not sponsored by Pilot). Seen here is Volume 3 of the family photo. These people are real. No bots allowed. They bleed orange and white. They have different backgrounds, lifestyles, and locations. But they all have one culture.
Here’s some of the resume for a powerhouse that feeds the internet support and can also be heard at 123 decibels inside Neyland Stadium:
An entire home was rebuilt for a beloved basketball star who saw his family lose everything in a fire. Until the NCAA stopped the fundraising efforts, over $350k had been raised in just 3 hours.
Several funds raised by grassroots efforts of @ Captn’ Cornjuice. The latest is aimed at the Ohio State game.
An opposing hoops player came to Knoxville to play and left being able to provide financially for his siblings, thanks to the efforts of Vol Twitter that found out about the story. The initial goal for the GoFundMe was $75,000. Tennessee fans raised over $10,000 and eventually over $50,000 in support of the Williams family.
Jahmai Mashack took to the powerful media group to help feed families in the Knoxville area. At the time practice was over, he had surpassed his goal on his own efforts to feed Thanksgiving.
They check stadiums, troll recruits, and create watch parties on campus
They have faced the NCAA, and they have now faced the first-ever College Football Playoffs. This week alone, Vol Twitter discovered a pre-sale code to check The Shoe with the hijacking of ticket sales to the Round 1 playoff game that arguably should have been awarded to their fan base.
“Tennessee fans are attempting to invade the shoe” - Ohio State AD Ross Bjork
The latest win is helping a friend of Vol Twitter make it through the holidays.
The mystery in Vol Twitter lies in the organization of the Vol fan masses across the country. It happens in the chats and discords that connect everyone with a login. Native Tennessean Al Gore would be proud of his internet when it comes to what this group accomplishes for the Tennessee Vols.
Just like back in the day when “Fire Johnny Majors” was yelled by fans in the streets of Knoxville with a post-game loss, thoughts are now heard and kept forever with a bookmark. Hidden behind an @ that is probably referencing your favorite Tennessee athlete, identities are concealed, but opinions and ideas are carried freely. This is Tennessee’s America, and we are all just living in it.
I believe if we are keeping score, Vol Twitter is once again showing this week that it is still undefeated. After all, Ohio State's Twitter is the last victim to concede a loss
(Sure, we could have done a deep dive about Vol Facebook, too, but let’s not. It gets weird over there.)
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