The University of Tennesee’s Volunteers got a new fourth-quarter song on Saturday night (Oct. 12).
During a home game against the Florida Gators at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium, the team debuted their new pick: Morgan Wallen‘s early-career single “The Way I Talk,” a song that celebrates Wallen’s Tennessee roots and includes a line about “cheering on the Volunteers.”
The switch-up comes after several seasons of the Volunteers using Garth Brooks‘ “Friends in Low Places” as their fourth-quarter song. That song was included on Brooks’ 1990 album No Fences, and the underdog sing-a-long has since become one of the most popular songs to arise from the country genre over the past few decades.
Brooks is currently at the center of a scandal, as he’s being accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit that was filed early this month.
Read More: Garth Brooks Sexual Assault Allegations Fact Sheet
But Knox News reports that the Volunteers’ fourth quarter song change has been in the works since long before those allegations made headlines. A source tells the newspaper that the decision to switch from “Friends in Low Places” was made this summer, in response to fans who wanted a more modern song to be played before the fourth quarter at football games.
Plus, Brooks doesn’t have any direct ties to the University of Tennessee, while Wallen’s connections to the area — and to Neyland Stadium — are strong.
Aside from being an avid Vols fan, the younger country superstar hails from the Knoxville area, and his Neyland Stadium concerts are hailed as hometown shows. Most recently, he played back-to-back nights at the stadium as part of his One Night at a Time Tour.
He made those shows special: Eric Church and Miranda Lambert were surprise special guests, and Peyton Manning — who was the Vols’ starting quarterback during his time there as a college football player in the ’90s — walked out with Wallen before that show, wearing his retired college jersey complete with helmet.
Read More: Morgan Wallen Writes a Bible Verse on the Wall of a Storm-Ravaged Tennessee Home
Wallen also recently made a $500,000 donation to Hurricane Helene relief, with a special message of support for victims struggling with the devastation in his home region of east Tennessee. He also visited the area and spoke personally to families who have been affected by the storms.
Of course, Wallen’s no stranger to controversy himself, either. Most recently, he was arrested earlier this year for allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of Eric Church’s downtown Nashville bar. He was charged with multiple felony counts in that incident and has a court hearing on Dec. 12.
The Volunteers ultimately emerged successful in Saturday night’s game, defeating Florida 23-17.