And with the game being at Bristol Motor Speedway, we're expecting a small crowd of 150-160,000...essentially putting 'record crowds' at Ann Arbor or anywhere else in the country into the dark.

We've been to a race at Bristol Motor Speedway, and it's an unmissable experience. So going to a college football game with both fanbases who really don't like each other: That could be pretty amazing too.

The game's actually been the brainchild of BMS owner Bruton Smith, who's been nagging both universities since I was at King College, Tennessee in 2004 and 2005. Smith's been eager to increase the revenues of Bristol Motor Speedway....and this is going to be a fantastic day for both universities....and him.

And you know who else is going to profit from this? 

Bristol itself.As a town, Bristol was buzzing when the railway line was going through it, but Main Street hasn't been the same in years. We were able to get one of the parties at Freshman Week at King College cordoned off by the local police as a big 'Bloc Party', and the only time the town gets itself out of its sleep are the Spring and Summer races at the Speedway.

But I tell you, Bristol needs it. Bristol, Tennessee is a town that lives on hope. They have refurbished the new railway station - partly as a wedding venue, and partly in the hope that Amtrak will decide to use the place as a thoroughfare. They constantly hope for a big golf tournament at the Virginia Club, and other stuff. King Pharmaceuticals, the place's biggest employer, merged with Pfizer and cut 20% of its work force in 2008. My buddy was one of the people to take redundancy down there (he moved back to his native Tuscaloosa, Alabama). Now that number may be higher than the 2011 article that said that they've cut only 12 jobs since being there, but the cap is probably around the 100 mark. That's a big workforce. 

People who live in Bristol love Bristol. There are a couple of bars, the people tend to be friendly, and it's really not too far for Virginia Tech fans to root for their Hokies, Tennessee Vols fans to root for their Vols (an hour-and-a-half from Knoxville), and it's not far away at all from the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. Oh, and they are football crazy down there...I promise. There are two universities, King College and Virginia Intermont. While King has increased size and enrollment, Virginia Intermont has suffered. Still, I remember the great King - VI basketball games of 2004/2005 in the NAIA. No great love between both fanbases, we can tell you.

Well, to coin a British phrase, football is coming home. At last. See you in 2016.