With ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit stepping away from his role as the color commentator in the EA College Sports video game series, the game developers have turned to FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt to fill his shoes in the upcoming installment of the game.
“You know him from the Big Noon Saturday games! We are bringing in Colorado Buffaloes alum Joel Klatt from Fox Sports into the booth for College Football 27,” EA Sports wrote in an official announcement this week.
Tennessee fans who are tuned into the national media scene are plenty familiar with Klatt. Tennessee has been a common talking point for the FOX Sports analyst on his podcast and other media outlets over the years, like most teams around the sport. He previously talked about selling Tennessee stock for the 2025 season, being skeptical of the Vols in 2026 due to quarterback play, and once even ripped Tennessee and Josh Heupel for waging a propaganda war against former quarterback Nico Iamaleava last August.
But one statement that SEC football podcaster Mike Bratton brought back up on Twitter this week was when Klatt called Tennessee the worst Power 5 job in America nearly 10 years ago. His statement came during an interview on The Herd with Colin Cowherd in November 2017.
“I hope no one takes that job,” Klatt said. “Because that fanbase doesn’t deserve anybody. You want to know why? Here’s another part of this. Who wants to go there? Knowing that the first time you lose two or three games, you’re going to get that mob type of mentality. Look at what they did to Lane Kiffin. I’m not saying that Lane Kiffin was smelling like roses coming out of there. Clearly he did some things that were less than stellar. But they had kind of a mob mentality then. Now, what happens with this thing? I don’t envy John Currie, the athletic director. I think Greg Schiano dodged a bullet. I think Mike Gundy made a great decision. I think anybody that turns down that job makes a great decision, because right now, in my mind, that’s the worst Power 5 job in America. Why? Because your fanbase turned it into that.”
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Linebacker Arion Carter Named to Watchlist for Prestigious Trophy
Klatt’s comments came just three days after what’s commonly known as “Schiano Sunday” in Knoxville, when fans revolted over the impending hiring of Greg Schiano as the head coach. Tennessee then hired former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt just over a week later. Obviously, as history knows, the Pruitt hire didn’t work out for the Vols either. That led Tennessee to the combination of AD Danny White and HC Josh Heupel in 2021, which is the current duo that’s in place still today.
The clip is nearly 10 years old at this point, so it is long into history by now. But it is something that some Tennessee fans haven’t forgotten about over the years.
EA College Football ’27 will release on July 9 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
“I hope no one takes that job because that fan base doesn’t deserve anybody.” 😳 —@joelklatt on the Tennessee football coach search pic.twitter.com/Wf2pcxcdzZ
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) November 29, 2017
