KNOXVILLE, TN – In what has become a beloved Tennessee tradition, University of Tennessee football fans are making plans for an Annual Bowl Game Bye.

“It’s awesome,” said Jake AllVol. “Our family enjoys taking trips around the holidays and we are so happy to make those plans and not have to worry about a college bowl game.”

The holiday tradition originated in the 1960s, but returned recently thanks to former High School Football State Champion Derek Dooley and the 2011 Tennessee Volunteers, who ushered in a renewed era of middling mediocracy.

“I think that Dooley knew we needed a break,” said Vols fan G.B. Orange. “Winning is great, but giving your fans some time off is the true test of commitment.”

Despite a perennial label of a “Dark Horse National Championship Contender” by that one obnoxious jackass at work, the Tennessee Volunteers have enjoyed a Bowl Game Bye for five of the last eight seasons.

The Bowl Game Bye was briefly suspended from 2014 to 2016, when star quarterback Josh Dobbs led the Volunteers to three consecutive bowl games. Fans quickly complained of the additional games, which interrupted holiday plans, and the Tennessee Volunteers returned to form in recent years.

“They heard us loud and clear,” said Tennessee fan Linda Fulmer. “Butch Jones laid the path back to a Bowl Game Bye brick by brick, and the Vols are walking that road.”

If you’re interested in real life football and not overhyped-and-destined-to-underperformed talks of “next year,” you can watch the following college football teams from the State of Tennessee actually play football this year: Vanderbilt, Memphis, and Middle Tennessee State.

It doesn’t have to be a bye week, guys.

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