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There are few things bigger in the Deep South than college football and racin’.
Put the two together and you get the record crowd of 156,990 that packed the Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s marquee matchup between Tennessee and Virginia Tech in Bristol, Tenn.
The 17th-ranked Vols came away with the nationally televised victory after erasing a 14-point deficit en route to a 45-24 decision, but it was the mass of humanity gathered there that quickly became the talk of the nation this weekend.
What a night! ????? pic.twitter.com/RXdbKbMtlO
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 11, 2016
A little perspective might also help in fully appreciating the enormity of the achievement. Just consider that the crowd at Bristol Motor Speedway was more than FIVE times the crowd of 29,627 assembled in Nashville to watch Vanderbilt host Middle Tennessee State.
Here’s a look at how attendance fared for the remaining SEC teams in Week 2.
| Attendance | Game | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 156,990 | Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech | Sept. 10 | Bristol Motor Speedway |
| 100,074 | Western Kentucky at Alabama | Sept. 10 | Bryant-Denny Stadium |
| 98,389 | Jacksonville State at LSU | Sept. 10 | Tiger Stadium |
| 96,412 | Prairie View A&M at Texas A&M | Sept. 10 | Kyle Field |
| 92,746 | Nicholls State at Georgia | Sept. 10 | Sanford Stadium |
| 86,825 | Arkansas State at Auburn | Sept. 10 | Jordan-Hare Stadium |
| 85,821 | Kentucky at Florida | Sept. 10 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium |
| 64,232 | Wofford at Ole Miss | Sept. 10 | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium |
| 57,763 | South Carolina at Mississippi State | Sept. 10 | Davis Wade Stadium |
| 51,192 | Eastern Michigan at Missouri | Sept. 10 | Memorial Stadium |
| 48,091 | Arkansas at TCU | Sept. 10 | Amon G. Carter Stadium |
| 29,627 | Middle Tennessee State at Vanderbilt | Sept. 10 | Vanderbilt Stadium |
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
