Tennessee Athletics” width=”803″ height=”519″ srcset=”https://www.rockytopinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-01-at-11.28.30-AM-300×194.png 300w, https://www.rockytopinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-01-at-11.28.30-AM.png 745w” sizes=”(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px”>Tennessee’s advance. Photo via Tennessee Athletics at X.
Tennessee Athletics has something planned for this summer. What it is, however, is the question on people’s minds.
The first tease came at the end of a new video posted by Tennessee Athletics on Saturday morning. The video highlights the connection and impact of Volunteer State and Tennessee Athletics in each region. From Memphis to Knoxville, from Nashville to the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Athletics is intertwined.
However, at the end of the video, there is a quick cut to a large wooden box with a new Tennessee state logo accompanied by the words “Coming July 2024.”
That tweet was posted specifically by Tennessee basketball, women’s basketball, softball, swimming and diving, volleyball, cross country, distance, rowing, track and field, tennis, golf, women’s golf, baseball, soccer, women’s tennis and a handful of Tennessee. Members of the Athletics staff. Clearly a very coordinating push on social media. The Tennessee Football account reposted the video with the caption: “Three stars make us the Volunteer State.”
June 1, 2024 is the State’s 228th birthday.
Three stars that define us.
Three stars that unite us.
An ode to Where we are from –
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚. pic.twitter.com/hMCO2VTpXC
– Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) June 1, 2024
About 20 minutes after the first teaser, Vol Football’s social media account tweeted about a separate specific teaser video, this time showing only the wooden box with the Volunteer State logo.
What is in the box? 👀#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/RlP61hco4J
– Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) June 1, 2024
More from RTI: MLB star Bryce Harper swinging with Vols before postseason game
So what does it all mean?
Is this a tease specific to Tennessee football because of the video released by the football program? Is this a tease from Tennessee Athletics based on the first video and coordinated social media push on Friday?
It’s hard to say since it’s only been an hour since the original post.
But that doesn’t mean fans haven’t started speculating.
After Tennessee asked what was in the box at the reveal, fans responded.
Most respondents have guessed something to do with the new uniforms, others are more specific about the new smoky gray uniforms. After all, Tennessee has yet to reveal multiple iterations of the smoky gray concept in the coming seasons.
Some believe they could be new vintage uniforms.
A surprisingly common assumption is that Tennessee is adopting Nike’s Jordan brand and some X users are responding with the Jumpman logo. While not as common, Michigan and Florida are two programs that use the Jordan Brand for football uniforms.
Then, of course, some funny responses.
A user wonders if there is a Lindsey Nelson Stadium hot dog in the wooden box. They’re pretty good, objectively.
One user thinks it must be Baby Gronk after the controversial youth football player’s recent viral “engagement” to Tennessee.
This is my guess, although I don’t keep any receipts in case I’m being a little forward. The timing between the box teaser and the Volunteer State video doesn’t appear to be a coincidence. After all, Tennessee’s video had the teaser at the end. Perhaps there is a chance for Tennessee to reveal a new alternate logo for the entire program that incorporates a new three-star design.
The football program would then specifically mock it because A. they are the biggest program in Tennessee on social media and B. the football team will be the first to use the new logo, even though the football program’s season starts earlier, so maybe one of the first for football and the first on a very, very important platform.
There’s something about the wording of the original tweet talking about the three stars that define the state, followed by Tennessee Football’s specific mention of the three stars that unite the state, that really makes it feel like it could all be related.
New soccer uniforms? A new logo for all athletics? A helmet with some logo besides the Power T?
One way or another, we’ll have to see what Tennessee is cooking up this July with some kind of new revelation: maybe uniforms, maybe hot dogs. Let’s hope it’s not the last for Ryan’s sake.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.