As Texas and Tennessee prepare for their Week 4 showdown, the magnitude of the weekend is already making history off the field. The clash itself is drawing massive national attention, and the cherry on top is ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting live from Knoxville. Moreover, the matchup is on pace to shatter a nearly 100-year-old traffic record at the local airport.
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The McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville is bracing for the busiest travel day in its nearly 100-year history on Sunday, September 27. A massive travel surge is expected the day after the high-stakes Week 4 SEC football game at Neyland Stadium.
“McGhee Tyson officials are tracking 10,000 passengers expected Sunday,” airport spokesperson Becky Huckaby told Knox News. “Travelers should prepare to arrive extra early for their flights. While heavy traffic days typically have lulls, she said, McGhee Tyson should be a packed house all Sunday long.”
Airport officials estimate that 10,000 travelers will pass through the terminal on Sunday alone. If projections hold, this will easily shatter the single-day record of 8,679 passengers. Remarkably, the previous record was set just one week earlier on September 20. This is happening because a storm of thousands of visiting Texas football fans will be heading home. They will also have local families departing for regional K-12 fall breaks in the mists.
As reported by Knox News, Becky Huckaby warned that the facility will be packed all day long. It is going to be so chaotic that the airport has officially urged passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled flights. Texas fans should expect severe logjams and long lines at airline ticket counters, TSA security checkpoints, baggage claims, and concession stands.
Out-of-state visitors are advised to secure rental car reservations well in advance. The chance of extreme shortages and long lines is anticipated, particularly beginning on Thursday, ahead of game weekend.
McGhee Tyson Airport has an expansive history. The airport is named after Lt. Charles McGhee Tyson, a US Navy pilot from Knoxville who was tragically killed in action in 1918 when his seaplane crashed into the North Sea while on a scouting mission for German U-boats.
In 2024, the airport smashed previous bounds to serve an all-time high of 3,256,953 passengers. It was the fastest-growing large airport in the US, according to the Department of Transportation. In 2025, it reached an outstanding milestone of 3,630,410 passengers in a single year. As projected, driven by new airlines and routes, airport officials expect total passenger volume to exceed 4 million for the first time by the end of this year.
The single-day traffic records give a clear picture of how dense the crowd has become. Before 2026, typical peak days averaged 6,500 passengers; the airport now regularly exceeds that threshold.
Tennessee can jump to the Top 10 with a win
Texas’s SEC season opener comes with a hint of rivalry between the two teams over who is the real UT. While the Longhorns are entering the matchup as the No. 1 team in AP Top 25 and Coaches’ Poll, Josh Heupel’s team has also had an interesting start to the season. To welcome the Longhorns, Tennessee is planning a “Checker-Neyland” game, where fans will alternate orange and white sections to cover the stadium in a giant checkboard pattern.
Texas has held on to the nation’s top ranking largely because of their 24-23 comeback victory against Ohio State. They were falling behind 23-3 in the fourth quarter, but flipped the script. Arch Manning and his offense can move the ball in bunches when dialed in.
It was visible in their 59-7 blowout over Texas State and a comfortable 30-6 win against UTSA. However, Manning struggled with consistency last week against UTSA. He completed only about half of his passes.
On the other side, the Volunteers have taken care of business at home, including a 56-9 rout of Furman and a 42-9 victory over Kennesaw State. Their closest challenge was a 45-24 road win at Georgia Tech.
Just like any other Josh Heupel team, the offense is highly dependent on the running back room. So far, Hunter Barnes, Daune Morris and DeSean Bishop have delivered. Even the QB1 Faizon Brandon has impressed with his legs. But against the Longhorns, his arm may get tested.
Heupel’s team is currently ranked No. 14. It’s not far-fetched to say that a win over the No. 1 team can propel the Vols to the Top 10. They can easily bypass the likes of LSU and even Alabama, to an extent, with a ranked win of this magnitude.