KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team will see 11 of its players receive their diplomas this week during Friday’s 2018 Fall Commencement ceremony at Thompson-Boling Arena.
In total, 30 current and former Tennessee student-athletes are expected to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas on Friday morning, with UT football’s 11 student-athletes being the most from any team.
The list includes 10 current players as well as Jeff George, who concluded his UT career last fall. Paul Bain will give the current senior class a perfect 100 percent graduation rate when he receives his diploma this spring.
Johnson will walk on Friday after earning his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering a year early and will begin pursuing his master’s degree in civil engineering this spring.
Johnson was one of the many graduates who expressed gratitude to the staff of the Thornton Center, which offers academic counseling services, career development programs and tutor programs among many features.
“Playing football and graduating with a civil engineering degree is no easy task,” Johnson said. “It would not be possible without the great staff at the Thornton Center.
“The support staff there has helped me all along the way, mentoring and guiding me. They have helped me figure out what classes to take and helped me work with my professors so that my football and school schedules do not conflict.”
The complete list of Tennessee football fall graduates is listed below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee softball co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly announced the addition of eight newcomers as part of the Lady Vols 2019 signing class.
“I am very happy to introduce these exceptional student-athletes to our fan base,” said co-head coach Ralph Weekly. “We knew when we started recruiting this class we wanted a lefty pitcher, utility players who can hit and pitch, more power, and at least two very good middle infielders. These eight players provide all of that and more. Seven of the eight play multiple positions and play them well. They are also very good students who are dedicated to academic success.”
The Lady Vols have the top recruiting class in 2019 according to Extra Inning Softball and FloSoftball. Tennessee has seven players ranked in the FloSoftball Hot 100 and six players in the Extra Inning Softball Extra Elite 100 – including five players in the Top 50 of FloSoftball.
Amanda Curran, Anna Fox, Anna Hazlewood, Caitlyn McCrary, Kiki Milloy, Callie Turner, Madison Webber, and Josie Willingham comprise the Lady Vols’ signing class. All eight newcomers will be eligible for competition starting with the 2019-20 academic year.
Singer/songwriter Eric Paslay and wife Natalie welcomed their first child, daughter Piper Lily Paslay, into the world on Dec. 8 in Nashville, according to People.
Eric has co-penned hits for Jake Owen (“Barefoot Blue Jean Night”), Eli Young Band (“Even If It Breaks Your Heart”), Rascal Flatts (“Rewind”) and more, as well as had his own success on the charts with “Friday Night,” “Song About a Girl” and “She Don’t Love You.”
Luke Bryan turned his new video for “What Makes You Country” into a family affair by featuring his sons Bo and Tate, nephew Til and a few of their close friends having some down-home fun on his farm south of Nashville.
“What Makes You Country,” which is currently No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after eight weeks, was penned by Luke, Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley. The new single is the title track to his 2017 album and follows previous No. 1 singles “Light It Up,” “Most People Are Good” and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.”
Check out the new video below, which was directed by longtime collaborator Michael Monaco.
Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes spoke with the media in a group setting on Thursday ahead of the team’s road game at Memphis Saturday afternoon.
Alan Jackson will hit the road for a number of weekend shows in 2019 . . . and he’s bringing Randy Houser and William Michael Morgan along for the ride.
Alan will visit more than 15 cities, including stops in Louisville, Omaha, Wichita, Orlando and more. In addition to Randy and William Michael, many of Alan’s shows will include a brief performance by aspiring singer/songwriters who’ve played AJ’s Good Time Bar, Alan’s honky-tonk on downtown Nashville’s famed Lower Broadway.
Jan. 25 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center*
Jan. 26 | Greenville, SC | Bon Secours Wellness Arena*
Feb. 22 | Madison, WI | Alliant Energy Center*
Feb. 23 | Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena*
March 10 | Bossier City, LA | CenturyLink Center*
April 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | Chesapeake Energy Arena*
April 13 | Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center**
April 26 | Fort Wayne, IN | War Memorial Coliseum*
May 10 | Columbus, OH | Schottenstein Center*
May 17 | Winston-Salem, NC | Veterans Mem. Coliseum*
May 18 | Hershey, PA | Giant Center*
Aug. 9 | Rogers, AR | Walmart AMP*
Aug. 10 | Wichita, KS | Intrust Bank Arena*
Aug. 23 | N. Charleston, SC | N. Charleston Coliseum**
Aug. 24 | Charlotte, NC | Spectrum Center**
Sept. 20 | Orlando, FL | Amway Arena*
Sept. 21 | Jacksonville, FL | Veterans Memorial Coliseum*
CMA Country Christmas, a two-hour music celebration, aired on ABC on Dec. 10 with performances by Reba McEntire, Tony Bennett, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Amy Grant, Diana Krall, Dustin Lynch, Martina McBride, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley, Michael W. Smith, Lindsey Stirling and The Isaacs.
If you missed the show, you can catch an encore presentation on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.
In the meantime, check out Dan + Shay’s performance of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
A star-studded cast of country artists will come together for C’Ya On the Flipside, a benefit concert on Jan. 9 at the Grand Ole Opry House that will support the Troy Gentry Foundation.
After Troy Gentry was killed in a helicopter crash on Sept. 8, 2017, his wife, Angie, helped launch the non-profit foundation that aims to provide financial support to cancer research organizations, military families and music education.
C’Ya On the Flipside will feature performances by Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Tracey Lawerence, Colt Ford, Ray Scott, Jimmie Allen, Halfway to Hazard, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Eddie Montgomery, Justin Moore, Craig Morgan, Jon Pardi, Rascal Flatts, Jeffrey Steele and Neil Thrasher. Blake Shelton and Storme Warren will co-host the event. Tickets are on sale now.
The concert will also support the Opry Trust Fund, T. J. Martell Foundation, Make-A-Wish, The Journey Home project and scholarships and instruments for music education in Kentucky schools. Troy, a Kentucky native who was 50 at the time of his death, was one half of the country duo Montgomery Gentry. The duo found success with songs such as “My Town,” “If You Ever Stopped Loving Me,” “Something to Be Proud Of,” “Gone,” and “Back When I Knew It All.”
Troy is survived by his wife, Angie Gentry, and two daughters, Taylor and Kaylee.
A handful of country stars will help ring in 2019 as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve event on ABC.
Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina will perform as part of the Hollywood lineup, while Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line will showcase their skills from New Orleans. Dan + Shay will perform from Times Square.
Ryan Seacrest will host the five-plus-hour event from New York City, while Lucy Hale will handle emcee duties in New Orleans and Ciara will call the shots from Hollywood. Additionally, Jenny McCarthy will report from Times Square.
Other performers include The Chainsmokers, Ella Mai, Camila Cabello, Hasley, Shawn Mendes, Weezer, Post Malone and more.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve begins live from New York City at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
As 2018 begins to wind down, Billboard has released its top listening trends of the year, including the most-played country artists, singles, albums and more.
Check out a few of Billboard’s Top 10 lists below. For more comprehensive lists, visit billboard.com.
2018 Top Country Airplay Songs
photo by Jason Simanek
“Heaven” | Kane Brown
“Get Along” | Kenny Chesney
“One Number Away” | Luke Combs
“Hotel Key” | Old Dominion
“Tequila” | Dan + Shay
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” | David Lee Murphy & Kenny Chesney
![Luke Bryan Turns New Video for “What Makes You Country” Into a Family Affair [Watch]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/08/22145008/Luke-Bryan12.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
