With Kentucky locked with Tennessee, it’s time to bring back the barrel

Fansided | September 24, 2025

And we have a great way to honor the reason it was retired in the first place.

Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (16) lifts the beer barrel, which annually goes to the winner of the Vols-Kentucky SEC battle. The 5th-ranked Vols defeated the Wildcats 59-31 at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., Nov. 22, 1997. | Rex Perry / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Few rivalries in the SEC run as deep as Kentucky vs. Tennessee, playing first in 1893. It’s history, it’s border pride, and for decades it was played for one of the quirkiest trophies in college football, the Beer Barrel.