Ohio State president Ted Carter gives expectation for amount of Vol fans in Columbus

Ohio State president Ted Carter discusses his expectation for the amount of Tennessee fans to attend the Tennessee-Ohio State game.

No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will play at No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) on Dec. 21 in the first-round of the College Football Playoff.

Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The contest will be televised by ABC.

Ahead of the game, University of Tennessee president Randy Boyd mentioned Ohio State is expecting 30 percent of Ohio Stadium to be filled with Vol fans.

“Great to run into Ohio State president Ted Carter at the New Era Forum held at Deloitte University,” Boyd said. “He thinks the stadium may be 30% orange – way to go Vol fans! First game ever played at Ohio Stadium in the month of December, and likely the first below freezing game the Vols have played in decades! Going to be a great game!”

PHOTOS: Tennessee-Ohio State football series through the years

Randy Boyd. Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network

Tennessee hosts alumni at Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Washington, D.C.

Tennessee hosts alumni at the 2023 Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Washington, D.C.

The University of Tennessee hosted alumni at the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

“Everywhere you look, UT — especially in DC,” University of Tennessee president Randy Boyd said. “Proud of the difference our alums are making in our nation’s capital and happy to host them at the Congressional charity baseball game.”

The Congressional Baseball Game for Charity was held at Nationals Park. The game was first played in 1909 and features members of the United States Congress on both team rosters.

“Had a great time visiting with Tennesseans, Vols, and Tennessee alumni who call Washington, D.C., home before the Congressional Baseball Game this evening,” Chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Donde Plowman said. “Inspiring to see the representation our great state has in so many ways and grateful for the support they provide UT Knoxville.”

Randy Boyd approved as president of the University of Tennessee System

Randy Boyd approved as president of the University of Tennessee System.

KNOXVILLE — Randy Boyd has spent the last sixteen months as interim president at the University of Tennessee.

Boyd has been approved by Board of Trustees unanimously and will remain in the president position through June 30, 2025. He replaced Joe DiPietro whom retired as UT’s president.

Boyd is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, earning a bachelor’s of science degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management.

UT press release:

Randy Boyd was appointed president of the University of Tennessee by the UT Board of Trustees March 27, 2020, following a sixteen-month period as interim president. Boyd took office Nov. 22 following the retirement of UT President Joe DiPietro. As UT’s 26th president, Boyd serves as the chief executive officer of a statewide university system that includes the flagship campus in Knoxville, campuses in Chattanooga and Martin, the Health Science Center in Memphis, the Space Institute in Tullahoma, and statewide institutes of agriculture and public service.

Boyd is the founder and chairman of Radio Systems Corp., a Knoxville-based business. They have more than 800 employees, offices in six countries and produce pet related products under the brand names PetSafe, Invisible Fence and SportDOG. He also serves as chairman of Boyd Sports and is the owner of the Tennessee Smokies, Johnson City Cardinals, Greeneville Reds and Elizabethton Twins.

Boyd served as chair of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He is founder and co-chair of the Governor’s Rural Taskforce, which exists to help state government and industry leaders find solutions to the biggest challenges facing rural Tennessee.

Boyd also served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s adviser for higher education and was the architect for Tennessee Promise, Drive to 55 and Tennessee Achieves—initiatives aimed at increasing the number Tennesseans with post-secondary degrees to 55 percent by 2025 and decreasing financial hardship for those Tennesseans pursuing degrees.

Through his philanthropy, Boyd also supports the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research and the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s Boyd Venture Challenge seed grant program for student entrepreneurs, both through the Haslam College of Business at UT Knoxville.

Boyd is the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management from UT Knoxville. He also earned a master’s degree in liberal studies with a focus on foreign policy from the University of Oklahoma.

Boyd and his wife, Jenny, live in Knoxville. They have two children and one grandchild.

Randy Boyd on coronavirus pandemic: ‘These are the days that will define us’

Randy Boyd on coronavirus pandemic: ‘These are the days that will define us’

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has taken measures in moving to online classes for the remainder of the spring semester amid the coronavirus outbreak.

UT will also have alternate graduation plans.

These measures are in compliance with the CDC asking for people to avoid large gatherings.

CDC Guidance as of 3/15/2020

Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities. Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings and other types of assemblies. These events can be planned not only by organizations and communities but also by individuals.

Therefore, CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.

University of Tennessee Interim President Randy Boyd discussed the coronavirus pandemic Thursday on Twitter.

“These are the days that will define us,” Boyd said. “Together, we will still make this the greatest decade in the history of the University of Tennessee.”

Dr. Kathleen C. Brown of the University of Tennessee’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences discusses the coronavirus pandemic and how Vol fans can be great fans if they join in the effort to control COVID-19.