Tennessee football defensive end Matthew Butler spoke to the media before Vols practice 6 on Wednesday via Zoom and UT Athletics.

Fresh off of winning the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year, Riley Green announced he will release his new EP, If It Wasn’t for Trucks, on Sept. 11. The five-song EP will serve as a primer to his upcoming sophomore album, which is expected to drop in 2021.
“I’m excited to be releasing the If It Wasn’t for Trucks EP,” says Riley. “I’ve been using my time off to do a lot of writing and although we can’t play music for fans face-to-face right now, I’m glad I can still share some new music with everyone. I hope to see everyone back on the road soon.”
Riley will perform during the ACM Awards on Sept. 16 on CBS. Riley’s debut single, “There Was a Girl,” reached No. 1 on the Mediabase chart in April 2019.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Reba McEntire will re-launch her 1991 concert special, Reba in Concert, via YouTube on Aug. 28.
Filmed in 1990 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, the special features Reba performing “Fancy,” “You Lie,” “Whoever’s In New England” and more. The special, which was originally released on VHS in August 1991, was dedicated to seven of Reba‘s band members, along with her tour manager, who were tragically killed in a plane crash near San Diego in March 1991.
“This show is very special to me because it features my friends that we lost in a plane crash 29 years ago,” says Reba. “Their love for music and incredible talents deserve to be seen again, and I’m so glad that we’re getting the chance to stream this concert for the first time ever. I can’t wait to watch it and I hope they will feel all the love we still have for them.”
Reba in Concert will premiere on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. CT on Aug. 28, featuring Reba celebrating with fans via chat.
Last month, Reba re-launched her 1994 Reba Live concert special via YouTube.
Watch the Reba in Concert teaser below.
Track List
photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com
For the eighth consecutive year, Carrie Underwood will star in the show opening of NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Carrie will open SNF with a new recording of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” on Sept. 13.
Working within social-distancing parameters, the 2020 Sunday Night Football show open was produced with user-generated content from fans showcasing their team spirit. In addition, cameos from some of the NFL’s biggest stars, also recorded remotely, will be highlighted.
From 2013 to 2015, Carrie opened SNF with “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” which is based on Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” In 2019, Carrie recorded a new rendition of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” that featured Joan Jett. The re-tooled song replaced “Game On,” which was featured during the 2018 season. Carrie opened SNF with “Oh, Sunday Night” during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, which was based on her 2014 duet with Miranda Lambert, “Somethin’ Bad.”
“Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” which was performed by Pink, was the original opening for SNF in 2006. Faith Hill replaced Pink from 2007 to 2012.
Sunday Night Football on NBC will debut on Sunday, Sept. 13, as the Los Angeles Rams host the Dallas Cowboys.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
The Academy of Country Music announced its first round of performers for the 55th ACM Awards: Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Tenille Townes, and Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi.
The ACM Awards will air live from Nashville on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The show will take place at three iconic Nashville institutions: the Grand Ole Opry House, The Bluebird Cafe and Ryman Auditorium.
Keith Urban will host the show for the first time.
The ACM Awards were originally planned to air from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 5. The Academy scrapped the plan on March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional performers will be announced soon.
Ryman Auditorium
Bluebird Cafe
Grand Ole Opry
photos by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com
Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum will reopen to the public on Sept. 10. The Hall of Fame has been closed since March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tours of Hatch Show Print and Historic RCA Studio B will resume in a limited capacity. All exhibitions that had opened before the museum closed have been extended.
“The museum experience will be slightly different—visitors will wear masks, practice social distancing, tour in smaller groups and enter the museum according to a pre-arranged, staggered schedule, and there will be no in-person programming,” says Kyle Young, museum CEO. “But our commitment to sharing the country music story has not changed.”
New guidelines will help ensure a safe and healthy environment for guests, staff and volunteers, including:
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Here’s a photo gallery courtesy of the UT Athletics from Tennessee fall football practice 5 for the 2020 season from Tuesday. There were no images made available from practice 4 on Saturday. Click on any image to see it full size with the ability to scroll through.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The preseason accolades continue to roll in for Tennessee offensive guard Trey Smith as the senior garnered first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, the organization announced Tuesday.
Smith has picked up multiple first-team All-America accolades, including from Athlon, CBSSports.com, Phil Steele and Sporting News.
Smith is considered one of the top three interior offensive line prospects available for the 2021 NFL Draft according to Pro Football Focus. A member of the Outland and Wuerffel Trophy watch lists, Smith has appeared in 32 games with 31 starts. The Jackson, Tennessee, native did not allow a sack in 13 appearances a season ago.
Smith and the Volunteers continue to preparations for their Sept. 26 season-opener at South Carolina.
2020 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors
Brent Cimaglia, Sr., PK
Lou Groza Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, PFF, Phil Steele)
Eric Gray, So., RB
Doak Walker Award Watch List
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Jarrett Guarantano, Sr., QB
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Velus Jones Jr., Sr., WR/RS
Paul Hornung Award Watch List
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Brandon Kennedy, Sr., OL
All-SEC Third Team (Phil Steele)
Cade Mays, Jr., OL
Outland Trophy Watchlist
Second-Team All-American (Sporting News)
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Wanya Morris, So., OL
All-SEC First Team (College Football News)
All-SEC Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
Josh Palmer, Sr., WR
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Trey Smith, Sr., OL
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Outland Trophy Watch List
First-Team All-American (Associated Press, Athlon, CBSSports.com, Phil Steele, Sporting News)
Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, PFF, Phil Steele)
Bryce Thompson, Jr., DB
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Henry To’o To’o, So., LB
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Bednarik Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon)
Mickey Guyton and husband Grant Savoy are expecting their first child.
Mickey shared the news via Instagram on Aug. 25, stating: “Even in times of darkness, like the ones we as a society find ourselves in today, God always finds a way to shine His light on the beautiful side of life, like the miracle of life itself. I’m so excited to announce that I’m having a baby! My life completely changed in an instant. Literally nothing else matters. I’m so excited and terrified all at the same time. I have no idea what I am doing but am so thankful that God chose me to be this baby’s mom.”
Mickey and Grant were married in June 2017.
Mickey will release a new six-song EP, Bridges, on Sept. 11. Mickey co-penned every song on the upcoming EP, which also features songwriters Karen Kosowski, Hillary Lindsey, Jesse Frasure, Nathan Chapman and Victoria Banks. The EP includes recent releases “Black Like Me” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” as well as current single, “Heaven Down Here.”
photo by TCD