August 28, 2024 • 23 mins
It’s football time in Tennessee! In honor of the start of the season, Julia Hurley sits down with Santa Vol, a beloved icon in the University of Tennessee Athletics community. They discuss Santa Vol's origins, his experiences and relationships with UT players and fans, his extensive participation in game-day events, and his impactful volunteer work, including efforts at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Santa Vol also shares his thoughts on the SEC's expansion and the recent development of NIL deals while previewing his plans for the season. Tune in to hear how Santa Vol embodies the Volunteer spirit and contributes to the vibrant Knoxville community.
Show Highlights:
(00:00) - Intro
(00:40) - How Santa Vol came to be
(02:24) - Perks of being Santa Vol
(03:25) - Santa Vol’s history of attending games
(05:31) - Volunteer work
(08:47) - What goes into dressing up as Santa Vol
(10:41) - Ad - Just Homes Group
(11:39) - Adding teams to the SEC
(14:59) - Thoughts on NIL
(18:20) - Santa Vol’s schedule for the 2024 season
(21:02) - How you can connect with Santa Vol
Links Referenced:
Santa Vol’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrSantaVol/
Santa Vol’s Twitter: https://x.com/santa_vol
Santa Vol’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santa_vol/
Santa Vol’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@santa_vol
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley, your hostess with the
mostess, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Today, we have a massive surprise for you.
One of my absolute favorite people that you - if you have never
attended a University of Tennessee football game, you have to now.
(00:28):
This season's your season.
We're gonna be winning anyway.
And this is the guy you want to meet.
Everybody meet Santa Vol.
Thank you for being with us today.
Thank you for asking me.
Thank you for having me.
Just glad to be here.
We're so happy to have you here.
Honest to goodness.
So we were just talking pre-recording.
We were talking how where my season tickets are for the football games.
And you walk around the stadium and let people take pictures with you, and
(00:52):
you're hyper involved in UT Athletics, but we've never, you've never made it
over to the student athlete family section, which is where our tickets are.
So this year, that's gonna have to change.
We're gonna have to get you to our tailgate as well.
So, tell us a little bit about how Santa Vol came to be.
I mean, I don't want to say it was just on a LARP, but it was really,
it was nothing that was predestinated, planned, or anything like that.
(01:14):
If you remember, like, I'm gonna be showing my age here, but
like, you go back 20 or 25, 30 years ago, and that's when
they first started seeing, like, the Santa hat in team colors.
Well, I thought, "What would happen if I had a whole Santa suit orange?"
Well, then fast forward a few years, and, uh, I
just decided I was going to see if I could find one.
I found one online, ordered it, and it came out looking more
(01:35):
kind of burnt orange, kind of, orange down, the wrong color.
But it was the only one I had, so I wore it to the Vanderbilt game in 2015.
In that time, I made the Facebook, I made a Twitter.
Didn't really think anything about it until I wore it
to the game, and the reception was just incredible.
I thought it would be fun to do, like, the last game of the season,
right before Thanksgiving, getting into Christmas, you know.
(01:56):
Then, that year we went to the Outback Bowl.
So I asked my mother, who does a lot of my suits, I said, "Hey,
do you think you could make like a short sleeve summer version?"
And she said, "I could probably do that."
So, I went to the Outback Bowl when we beat Northwestern,
and then it just kind of blew up from there.
I mean, it was just, originally I was going to do this like maybe one,
maybe two games a season, but then as I get messages on Facebook and
(02:17):
Twitter, I would get more people, "Hey, are you gonna be at this game?"
"Yeah, but it's September."
"It's gonna be fine."
"Well, I'm bringing my daughter."
Okay, I'll dress up.
You're kind of the icon in the tailgating world, honestly.
Every time, every game we see you at, we're
like, "Oh, there's [unintelligible] . We to go.
We gotta go find him and get a picture."
I mean, you have literally become a legend at UT Athletics.
Does that get you any extra anything?
(02:38):
Do you get like better season tickets or do you get invited to anything?
Officially through the school?
No.
Now with, with that, uh, I have been able to,
a lot of the former players really enjoy it.
I've been down pregame.
I've been able to get into the Letterman's room and hang out
with the former players and former coaches a couple of times.
And that's really cool.
But, uh, I'm still just a big fan.
(02:59):
That's just, I have to be a goofy guy to wear this kind of thing.
So, any part that comes with that's great.
I was trying to think of how to word it.
The last coach that we can't speak of that was here, I was invited
to be the official Santa for their coach's Christmas party.
So, that was pretty cool.
Uh, we won't name names, but that was pretty neat.
I got to, you know, just go act like I belong and hang out in the
(03:21):
Santa foot and get to visit with their kids and coaches and it was fun.
In the history that I can remember of all the coaches that
we have been through, there are only three that I mentioned.
So, I mean, there's only three people that actually coached in my mind at UT.
The rest of them were just kind of...
[laughter] All right, you have been attending UT games since 1985.
(03:42):
That's a long time.
Tell us about that.
First game that I saw, uh, was in 1985 and, um, my mom and dad and a couple of
friends came to the, uh, Vanderbilt game, which was one of the, and I didn't
think about it at the time until somebody pointed it out just a few weeks ago.
At that game, we beat Vanderbilt 30 to nothing and
then stormed the field and tore down the goalpost.
Somebody was like, we tore down the goalpost after beating Vanderbilt.
(04:04):
It was the game that clinched the SEC championship for us
that year when we went on to beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl.
So, it wasn't Vandy.
It was the culmination of the season.
And since then, um, we saw at least one game every year since then.
Then when they, and again, showing my age, when they closed down
the north section, the upper deck, we got season tickets in 95.
(04:25):
And we've been up there ever since.
I love to hear fan stories.
We have, what, now 103,000 seats, down from 110,000
with our new VIP section, which is stunning, by the way.
The new section is amazing.
Some of the things that we've been able to do.
But on any given Saturday in the fall at University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, there's 200,000 people there, hands down.
Even people, they come to tailgate even if they don't get to go to the game.
(04:47):
I've never seen more happy and supportive fans than at UT Knoxville.
Just never.
So I love to hear that.
Um, let's see here.
You have two daughters and you've been married to your wife since 1995.
Does she, is she Mrs.
Claus?
Do we have like a whole family we're not aware of?
She doesn't do the dress up.
When my daughters were little, they would a little bit, but now they're both old
(05:08):
enough that, yeah, it's kind of cool, but it's embarrassing at the same time.
So I get it.
I get it.
I think, I think, you know, as an adult and someone who cherishes fandom
and we all love to see you at the games, I think at this point you probably
have like a trademark situation that you could possibly, possibly put in.
Um, I don't know.
Yeah, I thought about looking into it, but I don't know the ins and outs.
(05:30):
I need a manager.
Yeah, I would agree.
So tell us about your children's hospital and kind of some of your
volunteerism in the Knoxville market because that's really important.
Yeah, a couple years ago, I was at my mom's house, not in
Santa costume, and I get a message on Twitter from Josh Dobbs.
And I'm like, okay, this is cool.
I know Josh, but I don't know Josh.
And it just said, Hey, Santa, if you would give my
(05:52):
mom a call and have a phone number and I'm like, okay.
So that year he wasn't able to make it, but he had bought a ton
of presents that he wanted to pass out to the children's hospital.
So me and his mom and dad went through and
visited every child that we could get into.
I mean, of course, there were some that you weren't able, you know,
for whatever their illness was, but we visited every child, gave
every child a, uh, A toy for Christmas, took pictures, and it was
(06:14):
really, it was one of those, I never understood the word humbling, and
still I started doing this, and then I kind of get that, you know, it
really makes you appreciate, you know, things you take for granted.
Do you work at all with Legends of Tennessee on their Christmas events?
I did.
This year I worked with the, um, Volunteer Club.
They did a, uh, Christmas with the, uh, basketball team, and
I was there with some of the players, and it was pretty cool.
(06:36):
Yeah, I, going back to Josh Dobbs, he is involved
in so many things still here in Knoxville.
I don't know if people realize how involved and giving
he really is, and still here in the Knoxville Market.
I mean, he is, um, he was at Kickball with Curt, Curt Maggit,
and he has been there every season to contribute and play.
(06:57):
And he always shows up for the Knoxville
market, and so including you in that was huge.
I, and also, just a PS, these football players, they
really do randomly text you on Twitter or Instagram.
With a phone number and a question.
And you're saying to yourself, is this really you?
Going back to the first year that I dressed up, that just done the two game.
(07:19):
That summer, I just had the Facebook and the Twitter.
I now I've got Instagram and TikTok, but I don't know what I'm doing.
Uh, but I'm driving down the road and my phone buzzes.
I glanced down and it says message from Chip McCallum in my brain.
I'm going, the only Chip McCallum I know
kicked through UT back in the early nineties.
This is crazy.
So I get to where I'm going.
I get my phone.
Don't text and drive.
(07:40):
And, uh, he's like, "Hey, Santa, this is Chip McCallum, I kicked for the Vols.".
I'm like, I know who you are.
And then the text is like, "Are you going to be at the Alabama game?"
And I'm like, what?
Yeah, but I'm probably not going to dress up.
I mean, you know, I still think I'm just going to do it once or twice a year.
"Well, if you come to the game, my daughter wanted to meet
you and I can get you down because it's Letterman's Reunion.
I can get you down to the Letterman's area and you
can meet, you know, Coach Majors and former players."
(08:02):
Well, I guess I'm dressing up then.
I mean, you know, it was, I mean, that's pretty simple.
Uh, but yeah, um, I'm going to be real good, real good friends with Chip.
And then, um, Jabari Davis and Chris Treece, you mentioned the legends earlier.
I do, uh, I do help out with them as much as I can.
I haven't really done any official events with them,
but I'll just kind of show up and crash theirs.
(08:23):
Um, uninvited, not invited, don't have to
be invited, I don't know at this point.
Jabari and Chris so much for the community.
I find that a lot of the former players, Derek Furlow, does
so much with SLB and Jabari and Chris have done an amazing
and with the, uh, the past and current players coaching all
over the state of Tennessee and the southeast for their camp.
(08:43):
So, I know that that is a connection that they would like to continue with you.
Um, tell us more about it.
When you're on campus, dress, is this, is
this like a full on Santa suit meeting?
Is this like hardcore wool?
It is like 95 degrees outside for the first home game coming up.
What are you, I mean, tell us about how often you're dressed up.
Is it special occasion games only, like now?
(09:05):
The home game for Alabama, definitely you're going to have to be there.
Tell us more.
It went from I was just going to do it like the last game of the
season, then I decided, well, I can do it for just the big game.
And now it's, I do something every game.
I've got a Hawaiian shirt that's Santa and, and Tennessee-themed.
So, I've got like the Santa Hawaiian shirt I may wear for early games.
(09:25):
Um, I've got a short sleeve version of this suit.
I'm not sure, it's not wool, but it's not thin.
Uh, I'm not, I'm not sure what the material is, but, uh, yeah,
I've got the, um, I've got a dark mode suit, um, for the Music City
Bowl, um, a few years ago, I had my mom create a, a smoky gray suit.
So, when they roll those back out, I've got air already waiting.
(09:48):
So, I've got a suit for just about every color
other than white because then I can't wear.
A white suit trimmed in orange, that would look weird and get dirty.
Um, but for the most part, if it's an early game, it's probably gonna be
orange shorts with a Hawaiian themed, or a Santa-themed Hawaiian shirt.
Or maybe just the short sleeves and Santa's summer suit, I call it.
(10:09):
But then once we get into October, depending if it's a night game, even
if it's early in the season and warm, I can get by with it at night.
The worst part's the hat.
I tell everybody it truly, you know, they tell you
in the wintertime the hat holds in all the heat.
It does.
The suit itself, it's not as bad even when it is that hot.
Your body just kind of regulates you get used to it.
With the hat, I just sweat and sweat and sweat.
So, you didn't graduate from UT?
(10:30):
No, ma'am.
My dad was just a huge UT fan.
He coined the term sidewalk alumni.
I guess that's fitting because, you know, we never really
went to class, but we've been on sidewalks walking around.
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I get it.
I also did not graduate from UT, and we now are season ticket
(11:15):
holders to every possible purchased sport at the University
of Tennessee and members of the Shareholders Society.
So, we have fully purchased orange.
Uh, at such a level, half of my closet is now the University of
Tennessee's, uh, original Pantone orange, which you're wearing, and I love.
Almost a yellow, uh, orange, which makes it a very different color.
(11:36):
Color.
It's absolutely stunning.
What are your thoughts as such a fan?
What are your thoughts on this, uh, this year adding schools to the SEC?
How's that going to affect us coming up?
And how do you feel that's going to affect the SEC as a whole?
I don't want to say I'm against adding schools
because I like getting away from the conferences.
I didn't like the East West because if you've got, if the
two best teams happen to be, and I'll just say in the West,
(11:58):
so I'm not plain biased, but if the two best teams happen to
come out of the same conference, they should play in Atlanta.
You know, so I think that's one advantage we've got here.
Uh, someone was asking me earlier what I thought about the
season, and I said, honestly, I don't know game by game.
But I feel like, you know, 11-1, 10-2 regular season is possible.
With that, you know, I said I don't want to get into what game we might
(12:18):
lose, but I honestly think we could see whoever wins in Athens turn
around and then play in Atlanta the same two teams for the championship.
Because I think it's going to be that, you know, going to be that stack.
I think Oklahoma and Texas, more Texas than Oklahoma,
is going to have a kind of a learning curve.
I think Oklahoma seems to be coming into it with "Hey, thank you for having us.
(12:40):
We're glad to be here."
Where Texas is kind of coming in, flexing their "We're Texas," muscle,
and I don't know that they're going to get the reception exactly.
Horns down.
Yeah, I think it'll be fun.
You know, perfect world.
I can go back to 1933 and still have Swanee
and Georgia Tech and Lincoln Quarters.
I mean, you know.
We were actually, talking about this the
other day, like, what schools would we add?
And I said, I want Virginia Tech.
I have always wanted I love Virginia Tech.
(13:02):
I love Virginia Tech's colors.
I like how they feel.
I like their fan base.
They're respectful, and they bring in a different level of
other sports, like their gymnastics program is huge for the SEC.
Their rowing program is huge for the SEC.
They bring in more athletic ability other than football,
but their football program is also outstanding.
So, adding the fan base to it and their educational system,
(13:24):
the ability to have the SEC grow financially in all sports.
I think Virginia Tech would be an amazing add.
I could definitely go without FSU.
I couldn't care less about FSU.
I didn't really want the Aggies, but here we are.
I understand the add.
Didn't love it.
Didn't love it.
Um, but everybody has their space in SEC sports.
(13:48):
I feel like we're probably gonna go to losing a whole conference.
I mean, there's a very specific conference that's been just chopped all to heck.
I don't know where they're gonna go from here, uh, but I don't really know
if they have any choice other than to add to the power base of the SEC.
I mean, we continue to lead in almost every sport.
Yeah, and I think, you know, the writings on the wall were eventually,
(14:10):
there might just be two conferences, you know, and I don't know, God forbid
we change the name, but I mean, I could see the Big Ten, who've got 18
schools, but they're still the Big Ten, um, and the SEC just being the
two main conferences and just, you know, the other schools still playing
and, and people, You know, that's going to take away, you're still going
to have the bowl games because the teams that are, you know, run of the
(14:31):
mill, good every five or ten years, they're still going to be excited to
go to a ball game, you know, the teams that are supposed to be really good,
somebody gets hurt, they have a season where they finish, you know, eight
and four, nine and three, instead of the, you know, eleven and ones, they're
still going to want that ball game to get practice, get playing time in.
So, you know, last year we had the teams opting out
of the bowls because they didn't get in the playoffs.
(14:52):
I think that's just kind of a one off.
I don't think that's anything that's going to stick permanently because
the coaches recognize they need the, you know, need the extra practice.
Well, let me get your opinion on NIL while I've got you here.
Somebody that's been such a huge fan and been involved in all the athletics, and
you're obviously an icon for the University of Tennessee athletic department.
Hopefully they Hopefully, they start inviting
you to some cool things in this podcast.
You're definitely an icon in the fan base.
(15:14):
What is your opinion on NIL and where that's going
to take the college, uh, college sports arena?
I really think, and the guys over at the Spy Group got on it
for UT quick, and I really think it's helped us, and I think
some other schools are probably looking to see what we've done.
You know, I'm not one of the old heads that are like,
"Man, I can't believe they're paying these guys."
The guys should have been getting paid.
(15:35):
They're getting them every weekend.
They're out there risking lock and limb.
The coaches are making money, crazy money.
You know, I don't know, does it need to be better regulated?
Maybe.
You know, you don't need, you hear like the, somebody
had a 20 million dollar contract or something.
Okay, I find it hard to believe that any group
in college paid a kid 20 million dollars.
I just, I can't find that in my head.
(15:55):
It don't make sense.
But, um, you know, does it need to be where, you know, certain
positions get X amount, other positions get other amount?
That's fine.
But the main thing I like about it is.
It just makes it easier for the student athlete to be able
to go through things without having to worry about it.
I mean, you hear the stories from the 80s
and 90s where, you know, somebody was hungry.
The coach gave them money to go buy a hamburger.
(16:16):
Well, then they're under investigation.
Okay.
Well, was it really?
It was just for buying a hamburger?
I mean, you know, that seems a bit strange, but at the
same time, it really helps the fans be able to reconnect.
Kids can get paid $1,500 to show up at a store for
two hours and take pictures and sign autographs.
Why shouldn't he be able to?
I mean, you know, it's America.
So I think from that point, it really helps the
(16:38):
athletes get through college a little easier.
We've all been broke college students at one time or another and
it's not fun, especially if you don't have anything that you can.
Yeah, especially if you're broke.
It's just really not a fun time.
These kids literally are sacrificing 15, 16 hour day
currently in fall camp, up and training by 5:30 a.m.
(16:59):
check-ins, school starts next week, and their last check in is 9:30 p.m.
So, these kids, 5:30 a.m.
to 9:30 p.m., coaching, game time, playbooks,
practice, weightlifting, dietician.
All the things that relegate a physical person's ability
to leave and have freedom to be in and out of a space?
(17:21):
They don't have that right now.
They're giving all of that to us as fans every single day laying it on the line.
So, I agree they should be able to be paid.
Um, and I like that some of the previous athletes have been able to be paid.
And I love that EA Sports started paying the kids to be on their games.
I think that we're starting to see more of a respect
for the ability and the beat of your actual body.
(17:44):
I think there are enough athletes now that are older that
recognize the sacrifice and the pain that your body will go
through in all sports and they're happy to see these kids get paid.
So, I agree with that.
I think Spire Sports definitely set the tone.
I think that anybody in the Knoxville market who is looking to
possibly compete with that, or any other school looking to compete
(18:06):
with that, needs to possibly take that model into consideration.
I know that the SEC is moving more toward a profit share system possibility.
That's been a conversation.
I think that'll be very interesting to watch, kind of like the NFL and NBA.
We'll see what happens
But always finding it interesting that an individual such as yourself's
contribution in the local market has made such an impact on the fan base.
(18:29):
What are your plans, let's say, for the next season?
Do you have like a schedule of you're available at this
game, you'll be at this tailgate, or people can come to this
specific place to get pictures with you during this time?
Or you'll be at this not for profit event for conversations and pictures.
Do you have a set schedule this year?
Not really.
I know, and nothing's official, but generally every year, the last
(18:53):
home game, I will do something with the ball shop on game day, where
it just makes it a little easier for people to get in, to get you
know, and again, that's kind of Thanksgiving going into Christmas.
It makes a little more sense.
Otherwise, generally, I'm usually up around the Torchbearer.
I've just discovered that's the easiest spot
to get candy canes handed out to players.
Right where they get off the buses, they haven't had
(19:13):
time to split up much, and that's been an easier way.
I've been doing that for the past two or three years.
As tailgates, I always get asked, and honestly, I would love to be able
to get around as many as I could, but It's just literally on game day.
I can't move.
If I'm at one spot, if I start walking, I will be able to go.
(19:34):
I can walk 15 20 minutes fine until somebody
breaks the ice and stops me for a picture.
And then once that happens, I can go.
I'm in that spot for 15, 20, 30 minutes taking
pictures, and I'm not going to walk off.
I mean, you got to take pictures as long as people want them,
especially because I'm still, I'm still getting understanding.
I'm just a guy in a Santa suit.
I'm not really understanding why people want pictures with me.
(19:56):
And then the only, The only drawback for folks is
for the second home game, I believe it's Kent State.
We started a couple years ago.
My wife wants to go to just one game with Morgan instead of Santa.
So, I will go incognito so she don't have to put up
with the Santa hubbub, and I usually pick like a smaller
game earlier in the season, so it won't affect anything.
(20:18):
But Santa will not be at the Kent State games.
Gotcha.
Well, we'll be on the lookout for Santa Ball.
Be on the lookout to make some connections for you and with
you to some larger tailgates, maybe get you paid to be at some
events, and see if we connect you with some different people.
Because again, this podcast is called Connect
the Knox, and that's what we sure plan on doing.
And we really appreciate your time, energy, effort, and volunteerism.
(20:42):
That's what we're all about here in the Volunteer State, and it's
really important to see people like you motivate other fans to continue
to support our players and our coaches all across all sports at UT.
We really appreciate you so much for contributing.
You, your family, for allowing you to do
that as well and supporting that endeavor.
Is there anything that you would like to say to anybody, a way to
(21:04):
connect with you, follow you on Instagram, social media, TikTok?
Tell us where people can find you and support you.
Yes, ma'am, on Instagram and uh, Twitter or X, I guess, it is
" santa_vol," no "s," just, "santa_vol.", uh, and both of those I've
got a link pre-up that will take you to my TikTok and to my Facebook.
Facebook has so many different things at the
(21:26):
end of the address, I can never remember it.
If you only have Facebook, if you just go in and search
"Santa Vol," you'll see, I think right now it's set
up, you'll see a giant number nine wearing a Santa hat.
This is the ninth year that I've done my Santa ball
countdown to kickoff, which we didn't even talk about.
Uh, every year, and I started this, I guess,
the second year that I started wearing the suit.
(21:47):
But, uh, every year from August 1st until the first day of kickoff,
I've got a different, uh, autographed item that I will give away.
Just go in and follow and it's like, hey, if you want this comment,
and I pass something into the player and today I can't remember who it
is today, but I'm going to have that drawing to find out who that is.
And I'll get it posted today and it's just every year.
And that's 1 thing that I've started doing.
(22:09):
I know where a lot of the guys tailgate that played in the late 80s, early 90s.
And I will literally, I've stopped doing even football cards.
I'll just find a picture online and print
it myself and get them to autograph it.
And a lot of times, if I don't have something for them to sign,
they'll be ragging on me like, "Why can't I sign this week?"
And I'm like, "Dude, I've got like six of your autographs.
It's okay.
I'll give them, give them away.
I promise."
But, uh, they know what I'm doing with it, so they don't mind.
(22:30):
You know, they know it's not going to wind up on eBay or something.
It's just straight up.
And even, I've always been an autograph collector since I was a little kid,
so I understand, you know, why people like that, and I hate seeing people
have to pay to get somebody's signature, you know, so if I can make it as a
giveaway, you know, great for them, so that's just something I like to do.
Again, that volunteer spirit, it's something that is
so ingrained in true fans in the Knoxville Market.
(22:53):
We can't say thank you enough for all the
support and exuberance and fandom that you bring.
And we're very excited to connect with you
in the future for our tailgates as well.
You be on the lookout.
Yes, ma'am.
And we'll get you connected with some new players and see what we
can't do to make sure that you stay connected in the Knoxville Market.
Thank your mother, by the way, for that suit.
Thanks, mom.
We appreciate you and we're going to start to follow santa underscore V-O-L.
(23:17):
That's volunteer santa underscore vol.
Santa, thank you so much for being with us today.
And everybody that listens into our podcast, I'm
Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Until next time, thank you for tuning into the show.
Make sure to like and subscribe.
Leave a five star review on your podcast player of choice.
And if you would like information on moving
(23:38):
to Knoxville, send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley, your hostess with the
mostess, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Today, we have a massive surprise for you.
One of my absolute favorite people that you - if you have never
attended a University of Tennessee football game, you have to now.
(00:28):
This season's your season.
We're gonna be winning anyway.
And this is the guy you want to meet.
Everybody meet Santa Vol.
Thank you for being with us today.
Thank you for asking me.
Thank you for having me.
Just glad to be here.
We're so happy to have you here.
Honest to goodness.
So we were just talking pre-recording.
We were talking how where my season tickets are for the football games.
And you walk around the stadium and let people take pictures with you, and
(00:52):
you're hyper involved in UT Athletics, but we've never, you've never made it
over to the student athlete family section, which is where our tickets are.
So this year, that's gonna have to change.
We're gonna have to get you to our tailgate as well.
So, tell us a little bit about how Santa Vol came to be.
I mean, I don't want to say it was just on a LARP, but it was really,
it was nothing that was predestinated, planned, or anything like that.
(01:14):
If you remember, like, I'm gonna be showing my age here, but
like, you go back 20 or 25, 30 years ago, and that's when
they first started seeing, like, the Santa hat in team colors.
Well, I thought, "What would happen if I had a whole Santa suit orange?"
Well, then fast forward a few years, and, uh, I
just decided I was going to see if I could find one.
I found one online, ordered it, and it came out looking more
(01:35):
kind of burnt orange, kind of, orange down, the wrong color.
But it was the only one I had, so I wore it to the Vanderbilt game in 2015.
In that time, I made the Facebook, I made a Twitter.
Didn't really think anything about it until I wore it
to the game, and the reception was just incredible.
I thought it would be fun to do, like, the last game of the season,
right before Thanksgiving, getting into Christmas, you know.
(01:56):
Then, that year we went to the Outback Bowl.
So I asked my mother, who does a lot of my suits, I said, "Hey,
do you think you could make like a short sleeve summer version?"
And she said, "I could probably do that."
So, I went to the Outback Bowl when we beat Northwestern,
and then it just kind of blew up from there.
I mean, it was just, originally I was going to do this like maybe one,
maybe two games a season, but then as I get messages on Facebook and
(02:17):
Twitter, I would get more people, "Hey, are you gonna be at this game?"
"Yeah, but it's September."
"It's gonna be fine."
"Well, I'm bringing my daughter."
Okay, I'll dress up.
You're kind of the icon in the tailgating world, honestly.
Every time, every game we see you at, we're
like, "Oh, there's [unintelligible] . We to go.
We gotta go find him and get a picture."
I mean, you have literally become a legend at UT Athletics.
Does that get you any extra anything?
(02:38):
Do you get like better season tickets or do you get invited to anything?
Officially through the school?
No.
Now with, with that, uh, I have been able to,
a lot of the former players really enjoy it.
I've been down pregame.
I've been able to get into the Letterman's room and hang out
with the former players and former coaches a couple of times.
And that's really cool.
But, uh, I'm still just a big fan.
(02:59):
That's just, I have to be a goofy guy to wear this kind of thing.
So, any part that comes with that's great.
I was trying to think of how to word it.
The last coach that we can't speak of that was here, I was invited
to be the official Santa for their coach's Christmas party.
So, that was pretty cool.
Uh, we won't name names, but that was pretty neat.
I got to, you know, just go act like I belong and hang out in the
(03:21):
Santa foot and get to visit with their kids and coaches and it was fun.
In the history that I can remember of all the coaches that
we have been through, there are only three that I mentioned.
So, I mean, there's only three people that actually coached in my mind at UT.
The rest of them were just kind of...
[laughter] All right, you have been attending UT games since 1985.
(03:42):
That's a long time.
Tell us about that.
First game that I saw, uh, was in 1985 and, um, my mom and dad and a couple of
friends came to the, uh, Vanderbilt game, which was one of the, and I didn't
think about it at the time until somebody pointed it out just a few weeks ago.
At that game, we beat Vanderbilt 30 to nothing and
then stormed the field and tore down the goalpost.
Somebody was like, we tore down the goalpost after beating Vanderbilt.
(04:04):
It was the game that clinched the SEC championship for us
that year when we went on to beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl.
So, it wasn't Vandy.
It was the culmination of the season.
And since then, um, we saw at least one game every year since then.
Then when they, and again, showing my age, when they closed down
the north section, the upper deck, we got season tickets in 95.
(04:25):
And we've been up there ever since.
I love to hear fan stories.
We have, what, now 103,000 seats, down from 110,000
with our new VIP section, which is stunning, by the way.
The new section is amazing.
Some of the things that we've been able to do.
But on any given Saturday in the fall at University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, there's 200,000 people there, hands down.
Even people, they come to tailgate even if they don't get to go to the game.
(04:47):
I've never seen more happy and supportive fans than at UT Knoxville.
Just never.
So I love to hear that.
Um, let's see here.
You have two daughters and you've been married to your wife since 1995.
Does she, is she Mrs.
Claus?
Do we have like a whole family we're not aware of?
She doesn't do the dress up.
When my daughters were little, they would a little bit, but now they're both old
(05:08):
enough that, yeah, it's kind of cool, but it's embarrassing at the same time.
So I get it.
I get it.
I think, I think, you know, as an adult and someone who cherishes fandom
and we all love to see you at the games, I think at this point you probably
have like a trademark situation that you could possibly, possibly put in.
Um, I don't know.
Yeah, I thought about looking into it, but I don't know the ins and outs.
(05:30):
I need a manager.
Yeah, I would agree.
So tell us about your children's hospital and kind of some of your
volunteerism in the Knoxville market because that's really important.
Yeah, a couple years ago, I was at my mom's house, not in
Santa costume, and I get a message on Twitter from Josh Dobbs.
And I'm like, okay, this is cool.
I know Josh, but I don't know Josh.
And it just said, Hey, Santa, if you would give my
(05:52):
mom a call and have a phone number and I'm like, okay.
So that year he wasn't able to make it, but he had bought a ton
of presents that he wanted to pass out to the children's hospital.
So me and his mom and dad went through and
visited every child that we could get into.
I mean, of course, there were some that you weren't able, you know,
for whatever their illness was, but we visited every child, gave
every child a, uh, A toy for Christmas, took pictures, and it was
(06:14):
really, it was one of those, I never understood the word humbling, and
still I started doing this, and then I kind of get that, you know, it
really makes you appreciate, you know, things you take for granted.
Do you work at all with Legends of Tennessee on their Christmas events?
I did.
This year I worked with the, um, Volunteer Club.
They did a, uh, Christmas with the, uh, basketball team, and
I was there with some of the players, and it was pretty cool.
(06:36):
Yeah, I, going back to Josh Dobbs, he is involved
in so many things still here in Knoxville.
I don't know if people realize how involved and giving
he really is, and still here in the Knoxville Market.
I mean, he is, um, he was at Kickball with Curt, Curt Maggit,
and he has been there every season to contribute and play.
(06:57):
And he always shows up for the Knoxville
market, and so including you in that was huge.
I, and also, just a PS, these football players, they
really do randomly text you on Twitter or Instagram.
With a phone number and a question.
And you're saying to yourself, is this really you?
Going back to the first year that I dressed up, that just done the two game.
(07:19):
That summer, I just had the Facebook and the Twitter.
I now I've got Instagram and TikTok, but I don't know what I'm doing.
Uh, but I'm driving down the road and my phone buzzes.
I glanced down and it says message from Chip McCallum in my brain.
I'm going, the only Chip McCallum I know
kicked through UT back in the early nineties.
This is crazy.
So I get to where I'm going.
I get my phone.
Don't text and drive.
(07:40):
And, uh, he's like, "Hey, Santa, this is Chip McCallum, I kicked for the Vols.".
I'm like, I know who you are.
And then the text is like, "Are you going to be at the Alabama game?"
And I'm like, what?
Yeah, but I'm probably not going to dress up.
I mean, you know, I still think I'm just going to do it once or twice a year.
"Well, if you come to the game, my daughter wanted to meet
you and I can get you down because it's Letterman's Reunion.
I can get you down to the Letterman's area and you
can meet, you know, Coach Majors and former players."
(08:02):
Well, I guess I'm dressing up then.
I mean, you know, it was, I mean, that's pretty simple.
Uh, but yeah, um, I'm going to be real good, real good friends with Chip.
And then, um, Jabari Davis and Chris Treece, you mentioned the legends earlier.
I do, uh, I do help out with them as much as I can.
I haven't really done any official events with them,
but I'll just kind of show up and crash theirs.
(08:23):
Um, uninvited, not invited, don't have to
be invited, I don't know at this point.
Jabari and Chris so much for the community.
I find that a lot of the former players, Derek Furlow, does
so much with SLB and Jabari and Chris have done an amazing
and with the, uh, the past and current players coaching all
over the state of Tennessee and the southeast for their camp.
(08:43):
So, I know that that is a connection that they would like to continue with you.
Um, tell us more about it.
When you're on campus, dress, is this, is
this like a full on Santa suit meeting?
Is this like hardcore wool?
It is like 95 degrees outside for the first home game coming up.
What are you, I mean, tell us about how often you're dressed up.
Is it special occasion games only, like now?
(09:05):
The home game for Alabama, definitely you're going to have to be there.
Tell us more.
It went from I was just going to do it like the last game of the
season, then I decided, well, I can do it for just the big game.
And now it's, I do something every game.
I've got a Hawaiian shirt that's Santa and, and Tennessee-themed.
So, I've got like the Santa Hawaiian shirt I may wear for early games.
(09:25):
Um, I've got a short sleeve version of this suit.
I'm not sure, it's not wool, but it's not thin.
Uh, I'm not, I'm not sure what the material is, but, uh, yeah,
I've got the, um, I've got a dark mode suit, um, for the Music City
Bowl, um, a few years ago, I had my mom create a, a smoky gray suit.
So, when they roll those back out, I've got air already waiting.
(09:48):
So, I've got a suit for just about every color
other than white because then I can't wear.
A white suit trimmed in orange, that would look weird and get dirty.
Um, but for the most part, if it's an early game, it's probably gonna be
orange shorts with a Hawaiian themed, or a Santa-themed Hawaiian shirt.
Or maybe just the short sleeves and Santa's summer suit, I call it.
(10:09):
But then once we get into October, depending if it's a night game, even
if it's early in the season and warm, I can get by with it at night.
The worst part's the hat.
I tell everybody it truly, you know, they tell you
in the wintertime the hat holds in all the heat.
It does.
The suit itself, it's not as bad even when it is that hot.
Your body just kind of regulates you get used to it.
With the hat, I just sweat and sweat and sweat.
So, you didn't graduate from UT?
(10:30):
No, ma'am.
My dad was just a huge UT fan.
He coined the term sidewalk alumni.
I guess that's fitting because, you know, we never really
went to class, but we've been on sidewalks walking around.
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I get it.
I also did not graduate from UT, and we now are season ticket
(11:15):
holders to every possible purchased sport at the University
of Tennessee and members of the Shareholders Society.
So, we have fully purchased orange.
Uh, at such a level, half of my closet is now the University of
Tennessee's, uh, original Pantone orange, which you're wearing, and I love.
Almost a yellow, uh, orange, which makes it a very different color.
(11:36):
Color.
It's absolutely stunning.
What are your thoughts as such a fan?
What are your thoughts on this, uh, this year adding schools to the SEC?
How's that going to affect us coming up?
And how do you feel that's going to affect the SEC as a whole?
I don't want to say I'm against adding schools
because I like getting away from the conferences.
I didn't like the East West because if you've got, if the
two best teams happen to be, and I'll just say in the West,
(11:58):
so I'm not plain biased, but if the two best teams happen to
come out of the same conference, they should play in Atlanta.
You know, so I think that's one advantage we've got here.
Uh, someone was asking me earlier what I thought about the
season, and I said, honestly, I don't know game by game.
But I feel like, you know, 11-1, 10-2 regular season is possible.
With that, you know, I said I don't want to get into what game we might
(12:18):
lose, but I honestly think we could see whoever wins in Athens turn
around and then play in Atlanta the same two teams for the championship.
Because I think it's going to be that, you know, going to be that stack.
I think Oklahoma and Texas, more Texas than Oklahoma,
is going to have a kind of a learning curve.
I think Oklahoma seems to be coming into it with "Hey, thank you for having us.
(12:40):
We're glad to be here."
Where Texas is kind of coming in, flexing their "We're Texas," muscle,
and I don't know that they're going to get the reception exactly.
Horns down.
Yeah, I think it'll be fun.
You know, perfect world.
I can go back to 1933 and still have Swanee
and Georgia Tech and Lincoln Quarters.
I mean, you know.
We were actually, talking about this the
other day, like, what schools would we add?
And I said, I want Virginia Tech.
I have always wanted I love Virginia Tech.
(13:02):
I love Virginia Tech's colors.
I like how they feel.
I like their fan base.
They're respectful, and they bring in a different level of
other sports, like their gymnastics program is huge for the SEC.
Their rowing program is huge for the SEC.
They bring in more athletic ability other than football,
but their football program is also outstanding.
So, adding the fan base to it and their educational system,
(13:24):
the ability to have the SEC grow financially in all sports.
I think Virginia Tech would be an amazing add.
I could definitely go without FSU.
I couldn't care less about FSU.
I didn't really want the Aggies, but here we are.
I understand the add.
Didn't love it.
Didn't love it.
Um, but everybody has their space in SEC sports.
(13:48):
I feel like we're probably gonna go to losing a whole conference.
I mean, there's a very specific conference that's been just chopped all to heck.
I don't know where they're gonna go from here, uh, but I don't really know
if they have any choice other than to add to the power base of the SEC.
I mean, we continue to lead in almost every sport.
Yeah, and I think, you know, the writings on the wall were eventually,
(14:10):
there might just be two conferences, you know, and I don't know, God forbid
we change the name, but I mean, I could see the Big Ten, who've got 18
schools, but they're still the Big Ten, um, and the SEC just being the
two main conferences and just, you know, the other schools still playing
and, and people, You know, that's going to take away, you're still going
to have the bowl games because the teams that are, you know, run of the
(14:31):
mill, good every five or ten years, they're still going to be excited to
go to a ball game, you know, the teams that are supposed to be really good,
somebody gets hurt, they have a season where they finish, you know, eight
and four, nine and three, instead of the, you know, eleven and ones, they're
still going to want that ball game to get practice, get playing time in.
So, you know, last year we had the teams opting out
of the bowls because they didn't get in the playoffs.
(14:52):
I think that's just kind of a one off.
I don't think that's anything that's going to stick permanently because
the coaches recognize they need the, you know, need the extra practice.
Well, let me get your opinion on NIL while I've got you here.
Somebody that's been such a huge fan and been involved in all the athletics, and
you're obviously an icon for the University of Tennessee athletic department.
Hopefully they Hopefully, they start inviting
you to some cool things in this podcast.
You're definitely an icon in the fan base.
(15:14):
What is your opinion on NIL and where that's going
to take the college, uh, college sports arena?
I really think, and the guys over at the Spy Group got on it
for UT quick, and I really think it's helped us, and I think
some other schools are probably looking to see what we've done.
You know, I'm not one of the old heads that are like,
"Man, I can't believe they're paying these guys."
The guys should have been getting paid.
(15:35):
They're getting them every weekend.
They're out there risking lock and limb.
The coaches are making money, crazy money.
You know, I don't know, does it need to be better regulated?
Maybe.
You know, you don't need, you hear like the, somebody
had a 20 million dollar contract or something.
Okay, I find it hard to believe that any group
in college paid a kid 20 million dollars.
I just, I can't find that in my head.
(15:55):
It don't make sense.
But, um, you know, does it need to be where, you know, certain
positions get X amount, other positions get other amount?
That's fine.
But the main thing I like about it is.
It just makes it easier for the student athlete to be able
to go through things without having to worry about it.
I mean, you hear the stories from the 80s
and 90s where, you know, somebody was hungry.
The coach gave them money to go buy a hamburger.
(16:16):
Well, then they're under investigation.
Okay.
Well, was it really?
It was just for buying a hamburger?
I mean, you know, that seems a bit strange, but at the
same time, it really helps the fans be able to reconnect.
Kids can get paid $1,500 to show up at a store for
two hours and take pictures and sign autographs.
Why shouldn't he be able to?
I mean, you know, it's America.
So I think from that point, it really helps the
(16:38):
athletes get through college a little easier.
We've all been broke college students at one time or another and
it's not fun, especially if you don't have anything that you can.
Yeah, especially if you're broke.
It's just really not a fun time.
These kids literally are sacrificing 15, 16 hour day
currently in fall camp, up and training by 5:30 a.m.
(16:59):
check-ins, school starts next week, and their last check in is 9:30 p.m.
So, these kids, 5:30 a.m.
to 9:30 p.m., coaching, game time, playbooks,
practice, weightlifting, dietician.
All the things that relegate a physical person's ability
to leave and have freedom to be in and out of a space?
(17:21):
They don't have that right now.
They're giving all of that to us as fans every single day laying it on the line.
So, I agree they should be able to be paid.
Um, and I like that some of the previous athletes have been able to be paid.
And I love that EA Sports started paying the kids to be on their games.
I think that we're starting to see more of a respect
for the ability and the beat of your actual body.
(17:44):
I think there are enough athletes now that are older that
recognize the sacrifice and the pain that your body will go
through in all sports and they're happy to see these kids get paid.
So, I agree with that.
I think Spire Sports definitely set the tone.
I think that anybody in the Knoxville market who is looking to
possibly compete with that, or any other school looking to compete
(18:06):
with that, needs to possibly take that model into consideration.
I know that the SEC is moving more toward a profit share system possibility.
That's been a conversation.
I think that'll be very interesting to watch, kind of like the NFL and NBA.
We'll see what happens
But always finding it interesting that an individual such as yourself's
contribution in the local market has made such an impact on the fan base.
(18:29):
What are your plans, let's say, for the next season?
Do you have like a schedule of you're available at this
game, you'll be at this tailgate, or people can come to this
specific place to get pictures with you during this time?
Or you'll be at this not for profit event for conversations and pictures.
Do you have a set schedule this year?
Not really.
I know, and nothing's official, but generally every year, the last
(18:53):
home game, I will do something with the ball shop on game day, where
it just makes it a little easier for people to get in, to get you
know, and again, that's kind of Thanksgiving going into Christmas.
It makes a little more sense.
Otherwise, generally, I'm usually up around the Torchbearer.
I've just discovered that's the easiest spot
to get candy canes handed out to players.
Right where they get off the buses, they haven't had
(19:13):
time to split up much, and that's been an easier way.
I've been doing that for the past two or three years.
As tailgates, I always get asked, and honestly, I would love to be able
to get around as many as I could, but It's just literally on game day.
I can't move.
If I'm at one spot, if I start walking, I will be able to go.
(19:34):
I can walk 15 20 minutes fine until somebody
breaks the ice and stops me for a picture.
And then once that happens, I can go.
I'm in that spot for 15, 20, 30 minutes taking
pictures, and I'm not going to walk off.
I mean, you got to take pictures as long as people want them,
especially because I'm still, I'm still getting understanding.
I'm just a guy in a Santa suit.
I'm not really understanding why people want pictures with me.
(19:56):
And then the only, The only drawback for folks is
for the second home game, I believe it's Kent State.
We started a couple years ago.
My wife wants to go to just one game with Morgan instead of Santa.
So, I will go incognito so she don't have to put up
with the Santa hubbub, and I usually pick like a smaller
game earlier in the season, so it won't affect anything.
(20:18):
But Santa will not be at the Kent State games.
Gotcha.
Well, we'll be on the lookout for Santa Ball.
Be on the lookout to make some connections for you and with
you to some larger tailgates, maybe get you paid to be at some
events, and see if we connect you with some different people.
Because again, this podcast is called Connect
the Knox, and that's what we sure plan on doing.
And we really appreciate your time, energy, effort, and volunteerism.
(20:42):
That's what we're all about here in the Volunteer State, and it's
really important to see people like you motivate other fans to continue
to support our players and our coaches all across all sports at UT.
We really appreciate you so much for contributing.
You, your family, for allowing you to do
that as well and supporting that endeavor.
Is there anything that you would like to say to anybody, a way to
(21:04):
connect with you, follow you on Instagram, social media, TikTok?
Tell us where people can find you and support you.
Yes, ma'am, on Instagram and uh, Twitter or X, I guess, it is
" santa_vol," no "s," just, "santa_vol.", uh, and both of those I've
got a link pre-up that will take you to my TikTok and to my Facebook.
Facebook has so many different things at the
(21:26):
end of the address, I can never remember it.
If you only have Facebook, if you just go in and search
"Santa Vol," you'll see, I think right now it's set
up, you'll see a giant number nine wearing a Santa hat.
This is the ninth year that I've done my Santa ball
countdown to kickoff, which we didn't even talk about.
Uh, every year, and I started this, I guess,
the second year that I started wearing the suit.
(21:47):
But, uh, every year from August 1st until the first day of kickoff,
I've got a different, uh, autographed item that I will give away.
Just go in and follow and it's like, hey, if you want this comment,
and I pass something into the player and today I can't remember who it
is today, but I'm going to have that drawing to find out who that is.
And I'll get it posted today and it's just every year.
And that's 1 thing that I've started doing.
(22:09):
I know where a lot of the guys tailgate that played in the late 80s, early 90s.
And I will literally, I've stopped doing even football cards.
I'll just find a picture online and print
it myself and get them to autograph it.
And a lot of times, if I don't have something for them to sign,
they'll be ragging on me like, "Why can't I sign this week?"
And I'm like, "Dude, I've got like six of your autographs.
It's okay.
I'll give them, give them away.
I promise."
But, uh, they know what I'm doing with it, so they don't mind.
(22:30):
You know, they know it's not going to wind up on eBay or something.
It's just straight up.
And even, I've always been an autograph collector since I was a little kid,
so I understand, you know, why people like that, and I hate seeing people
have to pay to get somebody's signature, you know, so if I can make it as a
giveaway, you know, great for them, so that's just something I like to do.
Again, that volunteer spirit, it's something that is
so ingrained in true fans in the Knoxville Market.
(22:53):
We can't say thank you enough for all the
support and exuberance and fandom that you bring.
And we're very excited to connect with you
in the future for our tailgates as well.
You be on the lookout.
Yes, ma'am.
And we'll get you connected with some new players and see what we
can't do to make sure that you stay connected in the Knoxville Market.
Thank your mother, by the way, for that suit.
Thanks, mom.
We appreciate you and we're going to start to follow santa underscore V-O-L.
(23:17):
That's volunteer santa underscore vol.
Santa, thank you so much for being with us today.
And everybody that listens into our podcast, I'm
Julia Hurley, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Until next time, thank you for tuning into the show.
Make sure to like and subscribe.
Leave a five star review on your podcast player of choice.
And if you would like information on moving
(23:38):
to Knoxville, send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
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