KNOXVILLE, TN —Rocky Top just got a major upgrade. Legendary coach and Tennessee icon Phillip Fulmer — the man who led the Vols to a national championship and defined SEC dominance — has just donated two elite-level luxury buses to the Tennessee Volunteers football program, sparking a frenzy across Big Orange Country.
Unveiled just outside Neyland Stadium as “Rocky Top” blared from custom-built speakers, the two mammoth orange-and-white vehicles cruised in with style, history, and championship energy.
> “Tennessee gave me everything,” Fulmer said at the reveal. “These buses? They’re not just transportation. They’re tradition on wheels.”
Meet: “The General” and “The Checkerboard Express”
Vol fans were left speechless as the curtain dropped:
Custom orange leather seating with white piping and “Power T” stitched into each headrest
Checkerboard-patterned floor panels inspired by the Neyland end zones
Team film rooms, cryo-recovery pods, massage bays, and nutrition stations onboard
Embedded video screens playing historic Vols moments — including the 1998 national championship
A booming speaker system that automatically plays “Rocky Top” when the doors open
Holograms of Fulmer and General Neyland delivering messages of grit and greatness
Coach Heupel: “This Is Tennessee Football”
Head Coach Josh Heupel called the moment “surreal”:
> “Coach Fulmer built the foundation for what we’re doing today. This gift? It honors our past and fuels our future. These buses will carry champions.”
Vol Nation Lights Up
The Volunteer faithful exploded across social media and message boards:
> “Philip Fulmer just gave us two LUXURY BUSES?! He’s still running the SEC!”
“The General still serving Tennessee in 2025. What a legend.”
“We’re not pulling up to Athens or Tuscaloosa. We’re rolling up in the Checkerboard Express!”
Senior wide receiver Bru McCoy was floored: “This is NFL-level stuff. Everything in here screams pride. You don’t just ride this — you represent it.”
Built on Tradition, Rolling Into the Future
Fulmer, who coached Tennessee to glory and later served as athletic director, said this gift was his way of giving back to the next generation of Vols:
> “I’ve walked those sidelines. I’ve seen what Tennessee pride can do. Now it’s time these young men carry that pride wherever they go — and look good doing it.”
With Tennessee primed for another strong SEC campaign, the orange wave is stronger than ever — and it’s riding in Fulmer-powered luxury.
Because at Tennessee? The Power T doesn’t just stand for tradition. It stands for taking over — one first-class road trip at a time.
