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Watch: Hard Rock Stadium shows off checkerboard end zone for Tennessee in Orange Bowl

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/29/22•

GrantRamey

The Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium)
The Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium)

Tennessee will feel at home in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium with a checkerboard end zone. The orange and white paint was finished in the end zone Thursday afternoon and showed off on social media ahead of the sixth-ranked Vols playing No. 7 Clemson on Friday.

Tennessee (10-2) and Clemson (11-2) are scheduled for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN. Head coaches Josh Heupel and Dabo Swinney held a joint press conference Thursday morning previewing the game.

The Vols, despite being designated as the away team, will be in their traditional home uniform, announcing on Wednesday they’ll be wearing their white helmets, home orange jerseys and white pants.

Swinney said earlier this month that, despite his Tigers being the designated home team, they’ll be in their white road jersey, paired with orange helmets and orange pants. 

“I think we’re orange pants and maybe white jerseys,” Swinney said during the Orange Bowl’s introductory press conference on December 9. “I think that’s what the guys, I think we got to pick, if I remember. My equipment guy (asked me) and I said ask the players what they want to do. 

“So I think we’re white on orange. I think that’s what we’re wearing. We’ve got orange helmets, orange tape, orange shoes. We’ve got a lot of it.”

Hard Rock Stadium and The Orange Bowl hinted on Twitter on Tuesday that Tennessee’s orange bowl will include its traditional checkerboard pattern.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said earlier this month that the uniform decision for Tennessee would also be made by the players.

“I don’t know what (the players) have picked,” Heupel said back on December 9. “Our guys pick the uniforms every week. I’m sure there will be a ton of orange in it.”

Vols wore four different helmets, two alternate uniforms during regular season

Tennessee players have had plenty of options in picking uniforms this season. In 12 regular-season games, the Vols wore two alternate uniform sets and four different helmets.

At South Carolina on November 19 Tennessee debuted a new orange helmet paired with the white road jersey and white pants. 

The orange helmet was the fourth different one the Vols have worn this season, to go with the traditional white helmet, the black helmet with the ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniform and the Smokey Grey helmet.

The black helmet featured a black face mask with an orange stripe and orange Power T’s. The Smokey Grey helmet has multiple shades of grey, with the Smokey Mountains on the back to go with a grey face mask, orange stripe that includes a checkerboard pattern on the back, and orange Power T’s.

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