September 1, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
The Vol Radio Network kicks off its 75th season of University of Tennessee Football coverage on Saturday in Nashville from Nissan Stadium. The pre-game show “Big Orange Countdown” begins statewide network coverage at 10 a.m. Eastern / 9 a.m. Central Saturday morning prior to Tennessee’s season opener versus Virginia at Noon Eastern / 11 a.m. Central.
WJLE will have LIVE coverage on AM 1480/FM 101.7
The show is hosted by John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, former Vol wide receiver and team captain Jayson Swain (2003-06) and a rotating VFL special guest each week featuring former captain Will Overstreet (DE, 1998-2001) or Chris Brown (TE, 2004-07). Fans can ask questions on social media via X/Twitter @VolNetwork. UT Director of Athletics Danny White and Chancellor Donde Plowman will be stopping by the booth as special pregame guests on Saturday.
Following “Big Orange Countdown”, Bobby Rader hosts “Spotlight on the SEC” before handing things over to the game broadcast crew 25-minutes prior to kickoff. Bob Kesling begins his 25th year of calling University of Tennessee football games. He will be joined by former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan who is entering his third season as color analyst. Wilkerson (network host), Hubbs (spotter and contributor) and Swain (sideline reporter) round out the in-game broadcast crew. David Grim serves as the network’s statistician this year.
Following the game, the “Big Orange Scoreboard and the Josh Heupel Show” provides complete and exclusive postgame coverage with scores, updates and interviews with Tennessee players and head coach Josh Heupel. Vol Network programming is then capped off with “The Final Scoreboard” hosted by Wilkerson, Rader and VFL Troy Fleming (RB, 2000-03).
The Vol Network, one of the largest collegiate radio networks in the country, can be heard on over 64+ stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App, SiriusXM and the Varsity App.