Tennessee fans declared more annoying than cicadas in Kentucky poll

Tennessee fans and cicadas have a few things in common: they’re orange and black and never shut up. Thanks to the emergence of Brood XIV and Tennessee’s win over Kentucky in the Sweet 16 this past March, both are particularly annoying to Kentucky fans these days.

If you had to choose, which is more annoying, cicadas or Vol Nation? LEX18 posed this question last night on its evening newscast, encouraging viewers to vote in an online poll. In recent weeks, parts of Kentucky have been taken over by the “Bourbon Brood” of cicadas, which emerge from underground every 17 years. Cicadas don’t do much harm, but they are loud and relentless — again, much like Tennessee fans. Navigating the outdoors when they’re around is like trying to scroll through social media without a Tennessee fan injecting themself into your algorithm. In fact, it was a Tennessee fan (@AnakinVolwalker) who first posted about LEX18’s poll on Twitter, which led to the clip making the rounds.

What's more annoying: Cicadas or Tennessee fans? WLEX in Lexington wants to know.

(H/T @AnakinVolwalker) pic.twitter.com/qGPJPnGm7v

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Tennessee won this poll, beating cicadas out for the title of “Most Annoying” 69% to 31%. Cicadas only live above ground for four to six weeks, after all. Sadly, because of the Sweet 16 loss and football’s recent skid, we’ll have to endure Tennessee fans for much longer.

While we wait, here are some jokes about Tennessee fans and cicadas, courtesy of ChatGPT, which is really on its game today. Hopefully, by the time the next brood emerges, Kentucky will have turned the tables vs. the Vols, and I can write the jokes myself.

Why don’t Tennessee fans mind the cicadas?
They finally found something else that only shows up every 17 years and still disappoints in the end.

You hear a buzzing sound coming from the trees in Knoxville.
Could be cicadas. Could be Tennessee fans talking about “next year.”

Cicadas come back after 17 years and immediately start screaming.
Tennessee fans come back after one good season and do the same thing.

Cicadas: gone for 17 years, then show up loud and proud.
Tennessee Basketball: around every year, still never shows up in April.