Earlier this week, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit appeared on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, where he discussed the large number of Tennessee Volunteers fans reportedly traveling to Ohio Stadium for the College Football Playoff game. When asked about the reports that Tennessee fans were “invading” the stadium in significant numbers, Herbstreit expressed skepticism about the claim that as many as 30,000 Tennessee fans would be present. “Can you imagine? Now, they get 3,500 [tickets]. What’s Ohio Stadium these days? Over 100,000,” he remarked. “You get basically three percent of the stadium is going to be in orange. You believe them? They may be getting 30,000 people in there? No way.”
However, just a few days later, Herbstreit backtracked on his comments and issued an apology to Tennessee fans. He clarified that he never doubted their loyalty or willingness to travel for their team, but rather questioned whether Ohio State fans would allow such a large number of Tennessee supporters access to tickets. “I don’t think that at all. I’d never doubt Vols fans traveling for their team ANYWHERE in the country,” he explained. “It’s more tough to imagine Ohio State fans giving them the opportunity to buy their tickets. That’s the tough thing to imagine.” Herbstreit went on to express his excitement about the possibility of seeing a large Tennessee contingent in Ohio Stadium, saying, “If I misrepresented that I apologize—never questioning Tennessee fans traveling but more about, will they have access to get thousands of fans in there. Hearing they could have as many as 20,000-30,000 which would be WILD to see at the Shoe! Be fascinating to see Saturday—can’t wait!”
As the game draws near, tickets are still available on various websites, indicating that Tennessee fans might have ample opportunity to attend the game. The first-round playoff matchup between Ohio State and Tennessee will kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, airing on ABC and ESPN.
