The Kentucky-Tennessee rivalry was a trophy game for more than seven decades, with a beer barrel painted orange, blue and white awarded to the winning side, usually UT.

That tradition remained in effect until before the 1998 season, when the beer barrel was shelved after two college students, including a UK player, were killed in an alcohol-related accident. A Kentucky player with a reported blood-alcohol content of 0.15 was driving. The beer barrel hasn't returned to this game since then, although it apparently remains in Tennessee's possession. Brian Niedermeyer, then a Vols assistant, posted a photo of the beer barrel in his office in 2019.

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss whether the Beer Barrel should make a return.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra.

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