University of Tennessee Athletics
Battle at Bristol: Getting the Party Started
September 09, 2016 | Football
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- The college football world has fixed its gaze squarely on Bristol, Tennessee, this weekend as Tennessee gets set to meet Virginia Tech in the long-awaited Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol. Contested at Bristol Motor Speedway, the game is expected to be the largest in college football history with estimates of around 150,000 fans packing The Last Great Colosseum.
The build-up for this historic matchup between the Vols and Hokies has percolated for years, but the excitement climbs towards its apex on Saturday morning when ESPN College GameDay goes live from Bristol Motor Speedway.
ESPN College GameDay, college football’s longest-running and most-celebrated pregame show, airs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on ESPN and will be located in the Earhart East Parking Lot. The six-time Emmy Award-winning show is hosted by Rece Davis, who is joined by analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack, as well as contributors Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica, Jen Lada, Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi, George Whitfield and Gene Wojciechowski.
Davis, Herbstreit and Ponder will be on the call of the game, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch and Marty Smith, who were part of the network’s long-time NASCAR coverage, will be on site to provide additional coverage across ESPN platforms.
Live SportsCenter hits will take place from the set throughout the day on Friday, as well as College Football Live with Ponder, Howard and Pollack (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Fans are welcome to take part in College GameDay's signature tailgate atmosphere and should arrive at the Earhart East Parking Lot prior to the 9 a.m. air time. Longtime analyst Lee Corso will make his famous headgear pick near the end of the broadcast, just prior to 12 p.m. ET.
Good Morning America at Bristol
ABC's Good Morning America will also be going live from the Earhart East Lot on Saturday morning as weatherman/correspondent Rob Marciano will be on hand at Bristol Motor Speedway from 7 to 8 a.m. ET.
Tennessee fans who would like to be a part of the audience should arrive on site by 6:30 a.m. in order to have enough time to be in place for the first live shot.
Vol_Football on Snapchat
For an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at the historic Battle at Bristol, be sure to follow the official Snapchat account of Tennessee Football: vol_football. The vol_football account will also be featured on the SECsports Snapchat account as part of a weekend-long Snapchat takeover.
Snapchat will also be hosting a Live Story from Saturday's Battle at Bristol, pulling all the game day and fan experiences from a historic day at the Speedway. As you cheer for the Vols, share your Battle at Bristol Snapchat videos to the VT vs. Tenn Live Story option.
