Neyland Stadium crowd sets a verified noise record of 130.3 decibels in the Alabama win

Tennessee's crowd did more than watch the 26-10 win over Alabama on Saturday. It made history. The university announced that the Neyland Stadium crowd reached 130.3 decibels during the game, a record mark for the building and one the school backed with verified measurement.

The peak arrived at the 3:56 mark of the third quarter, moments after a second-down sack of Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell with Tennessee leading 19-10. According to the school's release, there have been 105 recorded events above 120 decibels, and the previous top verified mark in college football dated to a 2007 Penn State-Ohio State game, a level that was sustained for only two seconds.

Josh Heupel opened his postgame comments by thanking the fans and calling the atmosphere elite, and he later reflected on how the Third Saturday in October has changed in Knoxville. The win made it three straight home victories over Alabama, and Heupel said an expectation has grown around the rivalry, one the fan base keeps feeding with scenes like Saturday's.

The record is more than a fun footnote. It is a home-field data point Tennessee can point to with recruits and a warning to future visitors. The 6-1 Vols, ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll, now carry that momentum on the road to South Carolina on Saturday, October 24, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.