Morgan Wallen pulled out all the stops during his homecoming gig at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Friday night (Sept. 20). The country superstar walked out to the stage with the champion Tennessee Vols, and he also invited Eric Church to the stage for a collaboration.

Wallen took the stage for the first of two sold-out nights at the massive venue dressed in a white shirt and camo pants, walking out with the 2024 National Champion Tennessee Volunteers baseball team and coach Tony Vitello. The crowd of more than 70,000 fans greeted them with a roar that registered 114 decibels, according to a press release.

Wallen opened his show with “Ain’t That Some” and “I Wrote the Book” before he addressed the enthusiastic hometown crowd, saying, “I really appreciate that warm welcome, that means a lot to me. The last time I was in this stadium I was watching Tennessee kick Alabama’s ass. I can’t think of a better way to follow it up than to be here playing two sold-out shows this weekend. This is one of the most special days of my entire life and I’m very glad you guys chose to spend this weekend here with me – it means a lot.”

He noted that he had a lot of family in the house, including his son, his mother and father, his grandmothers, sisters, nieces and more.

“I have been very fortunate to do a lot of great things over the last few years, but I know that this right here is going to be extremely hard to top as one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do,” Wallen told the crowd.

Church’s appearance was one of the highlights of the show; he joined Wallen for an acoustic version of “Quittin’ Time,” captured in the fan-shot video below:

Hardy and Ernest also joined Wallen during the show, and he had another surprise for his fans, performing an unreleased track titled “Love Somebody,” revealing that the song is set for release on Oct. 18. “Love Somebody is currently available for pre-save and pre-add.

Wallen’s massive homecoming gig ended with a fireworks display.

The singer is set to return to Neyland Stadium for a second sold-out show on Sunday (Sept. 22).

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.