‘It’s a Tradition,’ ‘This Is What Rivalries Are About’ — CFB Fans React to Kentucky Supporters Painting Tennessee’s Iconic Rock in Wildcats Colors

The Kentucky Wildcats are riding high early in the Will Stein era after bagging a lofty No. 6 ranking in the first College Football Playoff rankings released this week. After a 7-1 start to the season, the Wildcats will put their share of the SEC lead on the line in a Week 10 visit to Knoxville to face the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers.

Fans on X reacted to Wildcats fans stamping their mark in Rocky Top by painting The Rock Kentucky blue and writing “Big Blue Rock” and “Stein Time” on the Tennessee monument.

CFB Fans Laud Kentucky Supporters’ Cheeky Rocky Top Prank

One fan invoked the SEC motto to laud the intensity of the game’s rivalry. “It. Just. Means. More,” the fan wrote.

Another fan explained that the Wildcats fans’ actions in Knoxville were a normal occurrence.

“This isn’t the first time the rock has been painted by opposing fans. It’s a tradition. Kind of like when Vols fans come to Lexington and eat up all the breath mints in our rest stop urinals. Just good fun,” the fan pointed out.

One fan praised the Kentucky fans for their daring actions and predicted that the Week 10 game would become even spicier as a result.

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“Honestly, props to those boys for pulling that off. However, this just adds more juice to Neyland…” The fan posted.

Another fan hailed the rivalry between the two SEC programs.

“Don’t root for either school but this is what rivalries are about. This type of stuff is what builds the hatred,” the fan remarked.

Even a Tennessee fan saw the funny side of the Kentucky fans’ actions.

“As a UT fan, I love this. This kind of petty, harmless fun between rivals. Didn’t last long but appreciate the effort,” the Vols fan wrote.

One fan pointed out the building atmosphere for the Big Blue Nation’s invasion of Knoxville.

“Kentucky has already started taking over Knoxville,” the fan posted.

Another college football fan was psyched by the harmless prank.

“Utterly awesome!!!” The fan celebrated.

According to Tennessee’s website, The Rock is a place of ‘free expression on campus’ and was unearthed in 1966, while painting it has become a treasured campus tradition.

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The Week 10 game in Knoxville likely holds the key to both teams’ college football playoff hopes, with the Wildcats in line to make a surprise SEC championship game appearance.

According to the PFN’s College Playoff Meter, the Wildcats have a 40.5% chance of making the championship game and a 58.9% chance of clinching a playoff spot, while the Volunteers have a 7% and a 29.6% chance, respectively.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.