Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Announces Unusual Incentive for Fans That Could Make Things Difficult for Arch Manning and Texas

When you have a young quarterback like Arch Manning walking into Neyland Stadium, the noise alone can throw him off. The Tennessee Volunteers know this very well. With a massive SEC game against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns coming up this Saturday, head coach Josh Heupel and UT officials are leaving nothing to chance. They have put together a clever plan to make sure the stands are full and loud well before kickoff, using the home crowd to create total chaos for the visitors.

This is no ordinary game day in Knoxville. President Donald Trump is attending the match, which means heavy Secret Service security protocols are in full effect. Secret Service mandates a full venue security sweep two to three hours before presidential arrivals, forcing gates to open earlier and security lines to take much longer than usual. To avoid an empty stadium at kickoff, Tennessee had to find a quick way to pull over 100,000 fans through the gates hours ahead of time.

That is where the unusual incentive comes in. According to FOX’s Trey Wallace, the school is starting early on Saturday by offering students a discounted price on beer. All concession stands inside the stadium will have a 50 percent discount between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. The stadium’s gates open at 9 a.m., and this announcement has added to the buzz and festivity about Saturday’s showdown. 

An intoxicated crowd isn’t just loud; it ruins an offense’s rhythm. For Manning, deafening pre-snap noise forces Texas into silent snap counts, delaying line calls and risking costly false starts. If Tennessee’s early-bird alcohol incentive fills the upper decks by 10 a.m., Manning will spend his afternoon screaming over 100,000 fans just to change a play at the line.

Both the No.14 Volunteers and the Longhorns are setting themselves up for their SEC opener. One of them will taste their first defeat of the season with, arguably, the whole of America watching. With Secret Service police posted around the venue and Trump in attendance, there is no place for error for the school that has issued guidelines. 

November 25, 2023: Tennessee Volunteers signage during the NCAA, College League, USA football game between the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Vanderbilt University Commodores at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville TN /CSM Knoxville United States – ZUMAc04_ 20231125_zma_c04_352 Copyright: xTimxGangloffx

Neyland’s parking lot will open at 6 a.m., six hours before the 12:10 p.m. kickoff, and gates will open half an hour earlier than their 9:30 a.m. time. To say emotions are running high would be a gross understatement. Other significant reasons make this game special, and, rarely, they align so well. This is the fourth time the Longhorns and the Volunteers face each other, and the first time in a regular season. The two teams haven’t met since 1969. 

The Volunteers are doing their best to rile up their fanbase, but Texas isn’t going to let them upstage it. Fans are driving from Austin, rooting for the team and showing support in the orange-and-white sea. They believe the only thing that would beautify their hosts more is a Texas victory.

“This place is gorgeous, and I’m not afraid to pay an opponent a compliment,” one Texas fan told OutKick. “I’ve been to a number of SEC campuses, but this one might take the cake on Saturday (besides DKR). Everyone has been so nice to us since we arrived on Thursday, and the downtown scene with what I think is ‘Market Square’ is gorgeous. But it will end up being a whole lot better when we leave here with a win.”

For Arch Manning, this game is the ultimate test under the national spotlight. He spent the past week facing major public backlash for laughing at a viral AI-generated video showing coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe during a press conference. Though he publicly apologized and cleared the air with Rowe, the noise off the field has been loud.

On the field, Manning has been clutch, leading Texas to a thrilling 3-0 record, including a historic 20-point fourth-quarter comeback win against top-ranked Ohio State. But stepping into his uncle Peyton’s old home field, facing over a hundred thousand hostile, roaring fans, will prove if he can truly handle real game pressure on the road.

The uncle connection adds a unique layer to this game. Peyton Manning is a legend in Knoxville, and his name is etched deep into Volunteer football history. Now, his nephew enters the same venue wearing burnt orange instead. Tennessee fans respect the Manning name, but for three hours on Saturday, Arch will be target number one for a crowd that has been drinking half-priced beer since 9 a.m.

When asked about his head coach, he said that Manning will be fine. After all, who knows how this sport tests loyalties better than those who have excellence to beat right at home. 

“It’s all part of the journey, it’s all part of the story,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said this week. “I’m sure there’s going to be a special moment in there for the family and for him…Who really gives a crap? Just go play, man. Go be you. You can’t try to be something you’re not. You got to go be you. And if you’re you, that’s going to be you to the best of your ability.”

Many questions will be answered tomorrow. Will Tennessee fans turn rowdy with discounted alcohol in their hands? And which share of oranges will make the most headlines? There’s only one way to find out.

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