JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Many fans left the East Tennessee State University college football game disappointed Saturday, despite the home team’s win. Country star Darius Rucker made an appearance, but didn’t fulfill the promise the school’s athletic department made.
The school has a new tradition at home football games, playing Rucker’s hit song “Wagon Wheel” at the end of the third quarter. The song’s lyrics reference Johnson City, Tennessee, home of ETSU.
Last Monday, the school announced that Rucker himself would perform the song live at the Western Carolina game. Rucker’s planned appearance was so highly anticipated, ETSU set a record attendance of 12,109 on Saturday.
Some attendees who spoke to Nexstar’s WJHL said they attended the game specifically to see the Grammy award winner, but were disappointed when he never performed live. Instead, he walked around the field and waved as the pre-recorded song played as usual.
“I actually thought they’d made a mistake in that they were just playing the song, and at some point the pre-recorded song was going to stop and he was going to pull a microphone out of his pants and start singing – but that did not happen,” said Grant Parks. “After the second minute of the song I realized, ‘Oh this is what we’re getting.’ And it was very disappointing.”
Dr. Richard Sander, ETSU’s Athletic Director, admitted they were told Friday afternoon that Rucker would appear, but not sing.
“Initially, to be perfectly honest, he thought he could sing ‘Wagon Wheel,’ but his management team called us and said that they didn’t want him to do that,” Sander said during a press conference.
Sander emphasized the university never paid Rucker to appear.
“I appreciate Darius Rucker for being here. When you think about him taking time out of his busy schedule to come here on his own, we did not pay him, he came here on his own. He took his time to do that. He was extremely gracious to everybody he came in contact with. He wanted to help ETSU football win a game and be part of this great community.”
Parks thought university officials should have made it clear that Rucker would not perform as soon as they knew about the change.
“They should have told us that he wasn’t going to sing. Dancing around in the middle of the field isn’t why we came,” he said.
Parks and others say a large part of the crowd left after Rucker’s appearance before the fourth quarter. Those that did leave missed a Buccaneers touchdown and victory.
Coach Trey Lamb said he wants his team to put on a performance of its own that’s worthy of fans staying in the stands.
“Look, this program has been 3-8 and 3-8, so it takes a while to get the culture fixed, Lamb said, referring to the last two season’s records. This year, ETSU is faring much better at 6-4.
“I think our fans are enjoying the product that they’re seeing. I’d love for them to stay the entire game. But, you know, I get it,” Lamb said. “We got to go put a product out there that people want to see. And I promise you, as long as I’m here, we’re going to do that.”
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers have their last home game Saturday against the Furman Paladins.
