KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)-- Spirits are high, as UT prepares to take the field for the first time under the leadership of head coach Derek Dooley. But the same can't be said for ticket sales.

Ramsey Roback has been scalping UT football tickets for more than thirty years.

"Since Tennessee played LSU in 1959... I've been selling tickets ever since then," he said.

But for him, sales for the first home game are off to a slow start.

"UT's got a new coach in there, a new team and a new quarterback," Ramsey said. "It's going to be hard to sell tickets."

That's because UT still has plenty left at the $40 face-value.

Joe Arnone, Athletics Director of Ticket Operations, said they've sold two to three thousand tickets in the past few days. It doesn't compare to years passed, but he said he expects a huge walk up on game day.

"I think we'll have a bigger first day crowd this year than we did last year for the Western Kentucky game," Arnone said.

Still, uncertainty swirls around Knoxville.

"With practice being closed a lot of people don't know exactly what's going on or what Tennessee has to offer," said Sonny Totter. "I think people are anxious to see."

And there are doubts.

Sydney Moore, a freshman at UT, said some folks around campus are saying "oh, we're going to get crushed."

But when it comes down to it, some say it's all about tradition.

"It's UT Football," said UT student Mickey Hutton. "You grow up watching it and to get a chance to be there is the best thing ever."