Stupid Question...

[CadaverDawg]

Why doesn't Tennessee make the checkerboard fill up the entire end zone instead of having the grass around the checkerboard?

I know it's always looked that way, and to me it has always looked dumb. Why not extend the checkerboard to fill up the entire end zone? Would look much better.

I'm sure there's a good explanation and I will feel dumb for asking...but i've thought about it every time I've watched a game at UT on TV since I was a kid.

[msu15]

I've always wondered this too. I think it looks so bad not being filled up all the way.

[msstate7]

Probably bc the white would touch the white or the goal line

[CadaverDawg]

Probably bc the white would touch the white or the goal line

Shouldn't matter. The ball just has to touch the line to be a TD anyway, not cross the entire line.

[War Machine Dawg]

Shouldn't matter. The ball just has to touch the line to be a TD anyway, not cross the entire line.

White would touch the white of the out of bounds lines on the sides and back is my assumption. As you point out, white touching the goal line wouldn't matter.

[dawgday166]

Shouldn't matter. The ball just has to touch the line to be a TD anyway, not cross the entire line.

On close pass catches for TDs?

[msstate7]

Shouldn't matter. The ball just has to touch the line to be a TD anyway, not cross the entire line.

Has to cross it going the other way to avoid a safety

[CadaverDawg]

White would touch the white of the out of bounds lines on the sides and back is my assumption. As you point out, white touching the goal line wouldn't matter.

This makes sense.

I'd still go with an orange border with full checkerboard. The green line around it looks silly

[vindastra]

Official NCAA rule - that the white line needs to be unobstructed.

https://rulebook.github.io/en/rules/1/sections/2/

[bulldawg28]

They ran out of paint.