LEX18 asked a simple question—but the answers might echo all summer long.
In a lighthearted (yet painfully accurate) “Poll of the Day,” viewers were asked: What’s more annoying—cicadas or Tennessee fans? The result wasn’t even close. Nearly 70% of voters picked Vol Nation as the bigger nuisance.
Let that sink in: actual screaming insects, known for their deafening chorus and creepy, red-eyed swarms, still finished second to Tennessee fans in a landslide.
And make no mistake—cicadas have invaded Kentucky. Brood XIV, also dubbed the “Bourbon Brood,” has emerged after 17 years underground, blanketing the bluegrass with their alien-like calls and crunchy presence. Open your door, and they’re everywhere—buzzing, chirping, lurking.
But to Kentuckians, they’re still somehow quieter than the Tennessee faithful.
Maybe it’s because Vol fans haven’t stopped crowing since they knocked Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16—conveniently ignoring the fact that the Wildcats won the season series in basketball, won the series in Knoxville in baseball, and handled business in women’s hoops too.
Yes, Tennessee football still holds the upper hand, but the noise doesn’t match the results. This is the same fanbase that seriously thought they were going to walk into the College Football Playoff and roll over Ohio State and take over their stadium—only to get thumped 42-17 in a game that reminded everyone just how far bark is from bite.
And it’s not just Kentucky rolling its eyes.
Across the SEC, there's near-universal agreement—Tennessee fans are the worst. Loud. Arrogant. Delusional. As one fan put it best on X (formerly Twitter), “One of the only universally agreed upon facts in the SEC is that Tennessee fans are the worst and most deplorable of any sports fans in the world.”
— @alexhweber
Harsh? Maybe. Untrue? That’s harder to argue.
So what about you? Would you rather face the swarm of Brood XIV… or a swarm of orange checkerboard tweets in your mentions?
Cicadas go back underground in a few weeks.
Vol Nation never shuts up.