The SEC Network's new hype song for college football season, "South on Ya," is a previously-unheard track by Luke Combs.
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"Got a little dirt road dust runnin' through our blood / From a never-heard-of-it hometown / Got a can't-quit heart and some take-it-too-far / And a whole lot of never-back-down," goes Combs' latest singalong. It name drops several of the states (Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana) and mascots (gators and dawgs) that come to mind as fans start getting excited for the imminent return of SEC football.
Combs co-wrote the song with Dan Isbell and Jonathan Singleton. An excerpt was first heard online in April 2020 after Keith Urban nominated Combs for the #demochallenge.
The hype video shows footage from all 14 SEC (Southeastern Conference) programs, from Jason Aldean's Georgia Bulldogs and defending national champions the Alabama Crimson Tide to Nashville's Vanderbilt Commodores and Darius Rucker's beloved South Carolina Gamecocks.
"This anthem and our primetime campaign truly celebrate the strength, pageantry and fandom of the SEC - the stadiums and electric environments, the conference's football dominance and the place we call home," said Michelle Barry, ESPN senior director of marketing, college networks, in a press release. "This track and the 'South On Ya' expression are powerful, with an attitude and confidence that well represents SEC football."
Expect to hear it plenty on ESPN networks, from this season's opening weekend through the College Football Playoff.
"Man, this is pretty special. In the beginning of my career, I spent a lot of my time playing my music all over towns within the SEC," Combs said in a press release. "The fact that one of my songs is now such a big part of the Network is really cool to me. It feels like a full circle moment, for sure. I am a huge fan of the SEC and am honored my song was chosen to be a part of it."
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It's the latest new song unveiled by Combs, who's recently teased a follow-up to 2019 studio album What You See is What You Get by sharing "Five Leaf Clover," "Good Old Days" and "Joe," on stage at country music festivals and online.
"I guess it all just depends on some strategy involved in that release date, but I think it's probably fall I would hope," Combs told proud Arkansas Razorback Bobby Bones in June about the chances that a new album arrives before the SEC championship gets decided on the field in December.
Combs will likely be following the SEC slate (and the games of the Sun Belt conference power he attended, Appalachian State) from the comfort of his tour bus. His What You See is What You Get tour spans the entire season, which kicks off on Sept. 4.
