Tennessee Vols Will Checker Neyland Orange and White!
If you are a Tennessee Vols fan, then certainly you know about Checker Neyland, the now huge movement to attempt to get fans to wear the appropriate color of either white or orange to make the crowds at Neyland Stadium this coming Saturday look like a huge orange and white checkerboard!
Even if you are not a Vols fan (shame on you), then you’ve probably heard of Checker Neyland, because the idea has now become a huge fan and university movement, and the original tweet about it went viral. In fact, as the Checker Neyland website says, this is not just a movement, but a manifestation of what UT Football fans have always represented: passion and unity.
It was a concept thought up by Cleveland, TN. resident, graphic artist, and lifelong Vols fan, Spencer Barnett.
The story goes that Barnett saw a picture of how Oklahoma fans had striped Gaylord Family stadium crimson and white, and wondered why Vols fans couldn’t do the same thing at Neyland Stadium. That simple questions led to Checker Neyland!
Barnett searched and found an image of Neyland Stadium filled to near-capacity, worked his graphic skills, and produced an image of how Neyland would look if the fans were decked out in orange and white for a checkered stadium.
Barnett then tweeted out what he wanted to do, the tweet went viral, and soon checkerneyland.com and Twitter accounts @CheckerNeyland (official) and @Checker_Neyland were a reality. Here’s the tweet from Spencer Barnett…
If Oklahoma can stripe their stands in shirts, I don't see why this can't be done in Neyland.... #VolArtConcept pic.twitter.com/H6jYHMI2Qx
— Spencer Barnett (@CleVOLander) September 15, 2014
Now, if you are a Vols fan and plan to attend the game, all you have to do is head on over to checkerneyland.com, fill in the online form to let the site know what seat/section you and yours will be sitting in, and the site lets you know what colors you should wear that day.
I should mention that the Checker Neyland website is the creation of Tim McLeod and Jonathan Briehl, Knoxville, TN. based web-developers. This movement also owes a great deal of thanks to their efforts in creating a sort of home-base for the fan-driven, passionate movement.
If you are a Vols fan, no doubt you already have a closet full of the appropriate colors, but if you need help you can grab some swag from the UT VolShop.
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What’s really cool is that not only has that original tweet by Spencer went viral, as well as the concept, movement, passion and unity, but the
University of Tennessee Official Athletic Department
has also gotten fully behind the movement to help promote, and fans everywhere have spurred the movement on!
Spencer Barnett has done something spectacular here for the Vols and Vol fans, and it just goes to show that any fan can come up with a super idea, and with today’s rapidly dispersed news via social media, a great idea can turn into a huge movement! I love it, and as a Vol fan, I just want to say, Spencer Barnett, fans like you make me proud to be a Tennessee Volunteer fan!
I love it that for Spencer, he’s also now getting to go to the game on Saturday to watch our beloved Vols put a checkerin’ on the visiting Florida Gators! Barnett was invited to go on the Jayson Swain Radio Show (WKVL) in Knowville, and Swain was gracious enough to get some tickets for the guy who started this wonderful phenomenon. Very cool.
If you love the Tennessee Volunteers, and can go to this game, then be sure you go to the Checker Neyland website and figure out your colors! It kills me that I can’t go, but I can at least thank Spencer Barnett for a job well done in kicking this thing off. In fact, I already have, and follow him on Twitter. You should too – @CleVOLander.
Go Vols! Let’s checker up Neyland Saturday, and take it to the Gators!