UT and Knoxville Celebrate Baseball National Championship

Sports fan or not, it would be very difficult to avoid knowing that something big just happened in the world of UT sports. As soon as the final tense out was recorded on Monday night downtown streets flooded with orange-clad fans running in and around traffic, on the sidewalks and alleyways, yelling, jumping, hooting, and hollering. Cars honked in friendly reply.

If on Tuesday night you were surprised to hear thunder coming out of a blue sky, you might have heard the roar of the largest crowd perhaps to ever assemble on Gay Street. Traffic hit gridlock hours before the parade as people flooded downtown to celebrate the University of Tennessee’s first ever national championship in baseball. Parking legally and otherwise, the State Street and Promenade Garages filled past capacity and I’m sure it was true of other garages. No doubt some cars still searched for parking as the parade commenced, forever cementing the idea in some minds that there is no parking downtown.

Why all the ruckus? Well, because it is a very big deal. UT started regular baseball play in 1897. The NCAA began recognition of national collegiate champions in 1947. After over 125 years of play and nearly eighty years of championships, UT finally brought one home.  Fourteen teams have won at least two, but multiple championships have gotten much more rare in the last fifty years.

It’s hard to thread the needle through a long season. It’s a grind with a lot of games: UT played seventy-three games this year (60-13) and, as a favorite, lived with a target on their backs all year as a favorite for winning it all. They responded to the pressure by winning the SEC Championship, the SEC Tournament Championship, and the National Championship.

The crowds lined Gay Street to enjoy a piece of history roared in deafening fashion, strained to touch the national championship trophy, worked the crowd to get through to the players and head coach Tony Vitello for autographs and generally soaked up history. Can UT catch lightning in a bottle again? Maybe. But it’s hard and no one alive has ever seen this happen before. So, tens of thousands celebrated, as they should.

The party carried onto to Market Square and for many, no doubt, on into the night. Kudos to the team for their season and for mixing it up with the fans, including allowing them to be so close to the trophy. And a tip of the hat to the KPD who did a great job managing to get the vehicles through and keep everyone safe while giving people the space to relish a rare moment.

Here is the full load of photos. Enjoy!