It’s football time in Tennessee and soon, every inch of Neyland Stadium will be filled with the sounds of UT’s Pride of the Southland Band leading 100,000 fans in “Rocky Top.” It was written 50 years ago as a diversion, recorded as a “throw-in song” and became an anthem for an entire state.

Why is Tennessee orange?

Tennessee’s orange and white colors were selected by Charles Moore, a member of the first football team in 1891. They were later approved by a student body vote. The colors were chosen because of the common American daisy which grew on The Hill, an area of campus surrounding UT’s most notable building, Ayres Hall.

Where is the real Rocky Top?

All you South Carolina Gamecock and Alabama Crimson Tide and Florida Gator fans take note: Rocky Top actually exists. It’s found 5,441 feet up in the thin air of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Appalachian Trail.

What is Tennessee’s state song?

The bill made “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee,” performed by Dailey & Vincent and written by Karen Staley, the official state song. It is Tennessee’s 11th official state song.

Is Rocky Top Tennessee a real place?

The City of Rocky Top is located on Interstate 75 in Anderson and Campbell County in beautiful East Tennessee. Rocky Top is twenty miles north of Downtown Knoxville and offers access to the beautiful Norris Lake, Norris Dam State Park and WindRock Park, which is the largest off-road recreation area in the country.