EXHIBIT 10.1

                       THIRD AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT

THIS THIRD  AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT  (this  "Amendment") is made and entered
into this 18th day of January,  2000, by and between  TROPICAL  SPORTSWEAR INT'L
CORPORATION,  a Florida corporation  ("Borrower"),  in favor of BANK OF AMERICA,
N.A. d/b/a  NATIONSBANK, N.A.,  a national banking  association and successor to
NationsBank, N.A. ("Lender")

Recitals:

Borrower and Lender, are parties to a certain Loan Agreement dated May 28, 1999,
as amended by that certain First Amendment to Loan Agreement dated July 19, 1999
and Second  Amendment to Loan Agreement  dated November 12, 1999 (as at any time
amended, the "Loan Agreement"), pursuant to which Lender has made a certain Loan
to Borrower.

Borrower   has   requested   that   Lender   amend   the   Consolidated   Funded
Debt/Consolidated  EBITDA Ratio covenant in section 4.12.2 and the  Consolidated
Tangible Net Worth covenant in section 4.12.4 of the Loan Agreement.

Lender is willing to amend the Loan  Agreement  on the terms and  conditions  as
hereinafter set forth.

1.       Definitions
         All capitalized  terms used in this Amendment, unless otherwise defined
         herein,  shall  have  the  meaning  ascribed to such  terms in the Loan
         Agreement.

2.       Amendment to Loan Agreement
         The Loan Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

                        By deleting Sections  4.12.2  and  4.12.4  of  the  Loan
                        Agreement  in their  entirety  and by  substituting  the
                        following new Section  4.12.2 and Section 4.12.4 in lieu
                        thereof:

         4.12.2  Consolidated  Funded  Debt/Consolidated  Funded  EBITDA  Ratio.
         Maintain,  as of the end of each Fiscal Quarter, a Consolidated  Funded
         Debt/Consolidated  EBITDA  Ratio of not more than the ratio shown below
         for the applicable period corresponding thereto:

              Period                                               Amount
              -------                                             --------

         October  3, 1998  through  October  2,  1999            4.50 to 1
         January  3, 1999  through  January 1, 2000              4.50 to 1
         April 4, 1999 through  April 1, 2000                    5.00 to 1
         July 4, 1999  through  July 1, 2000                     4.75 to 1
         October 3, 1999 through  September 30, 2000             4.25 to 1
         Each Fiscal Quarter after September 30, 2000
            (based  upon the  immediately  preceding
            4 Fiscal Quarters)                                   4.00 to 1

         4.12.4  Consolidated  Tangible  Net Worth.  Until the  Credit  Facility
         Commitment  Termination  Date,  maintain,  as of the end of each Fiscal
         Quarter,  Consolidated  Tangible  Net Worth of not less than the amount
         shown below for the period corresponding thereto:

              Period                                       Amount
             --------                                     --------
         Fiscal Quarter ending January 1, 2000         $101,500,000

         Each Fiscal Quarter thereafter                $101,500,000
                                                       plus  $2,500,000 for each
                                                       additional Fiscal Quarter
                                                       after January 1, 2000.

3.     Acknowledgements and Stipulations
       Borrower  acknowledges  and  stipulates  that the Loan  Agreement and the
       other Loan  Documents  executed  by such  Borrower  are legal,  valid and
       binding  obligations of such Borrower that are  enforceable  against such
       Borrower in accordance with the terms thereof; all of the obligations are
       owing and payable without  defense,  offset or  counterclaim  (and to the
       extent there exists any such defense,  offset or counterclaim on the date
       hereof,  the  same  is  hereby  waived  by the  Borrower);  the  security
       interests  and liens  granted  by  Borrower  in favor of Lender  are duly
       perfected, first priority security interests and liens.
<PAGE>

4.     Representations and Warrants
       Borrower  represents  and warrants to Lender,  to induce  Lender to enter
       into this  Amendment  that no Default  or Event of Default  exists on the
       date hereof;  the execution,  delivery and  performance of this Amendment
       has been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action of the part of
       such Borrower and this  Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by
       such Borrower;  and all of the  representations  and  warranties  made by
       Borrowers  in the Loan  Agreement  are true and  correct on and as of the
       date  hereof,  except  to  the  extent  any  representation  or  warranty
       specifically relates to an earlier date.

5.     Expenses of Lender
       Borrower  agrees to pay,  on demand all costs and  expenses  incurred  by
       Lender in connection with the  preparation,  negotiation and execution of
       this Amendment and any other Loan Documents  executed pursuant hereto and
       any  and  all  amendments,   modifications,   and  supplements   thereto,
       including,  without limitation, the reasonable costs and fees of Lender's
       legal  counsel and any taxes or expenses  associated  with or incurred in
       connection  with any  instrument  or  agreement  referred  to  herein  or
       contemplated hereby.

6.     Effectiveness Governing Law
       This  Amendment  shall be effective  upon  acceptance by Lender in Tampa,
       Florida (notice of which acceptance is hereby waived), whereupon the same
       shall be governed by and construed in  accordance  with the internal laws
       of the State of Florida.


7.     Successors and Assigns
       This  Amendment  shall be  binding  upon and inure to the  benefit of the
       parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

8.     No Novation, etc.
       Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Amendment,  nothing herein
       shall be deemed to amend or modify any provision of the Loan Agreement or
       any of the Other Loan Documents, each of which shall remain in full force
       and  effect.  This  Amendment  is not  intended  to be,  nor  shall it be
       construed to create, a novation or accord and satisfaction,  and the Loan
       Agreement as herein modified shall continue in full force and effect.

9.     Counterparts: Telecopied Signatures
       This  Amendment  may be  executed  in any number of  counterparts  and by
       different  parties to this  Agreement on separate  counterparts,  each of
       which,  when so  executed,  shall be  deemed  an  original,  but all such
       counterparts  shall constitute one and the same agreement.  Any signature
       delivered by a party by facsimile  transmission  shall be deemed to be an
       original signature hereto.

10.    Further Assurances
       Borrower agrees to take such further  actions as Lender shall  reasonably
       request  from time to time in  connection  herewith  to  evidence or give
       effect  to the  amendments  set forth  herein or any of the  transactions
       contemplated hereby.

11.    Section Titles
       Section  titles and references  used in this  Amendment  shall be without
       substantive  meaning or content of any kind whatsoever and are not a part
       of the agreements among the parties hereto.

12.    Release of Claims
       To induce Lender to enter into this Amendment,  Borrower hereby releases,
       acquits and  forever  discharges  Lender,  and all  officers,  directors,
       agents  employees,  successors  and  assigns of Lender,  from any and all
       liabilities, claims, demands, actions or causes or actions of any kind or
       nature (if there by any),  whether  absolute or  contingent,  disputed or
       undisputed,  at law or in equity, or known or unknown, that such Borrower
       now has or ever had against  Lender  arising under or in connection  with
       any of the Loan Documents or otherwise.

13.    Waiver of Jury Trial
       To the fullest  extent  permitted by applicable  law, the parties  hereto
       each  hereby  waives  the  right to trial  by jury in any  action,  suit,
       counterclaim, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Amendment.


IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have caused this  Amendment to be duly
executed under seal and delivered by their  respective duly authorized  officers
on the date first written above.
<PAGE>

BORROWER:


TROPICAL SPORTSWEAR INT'L CORPORATION
A Florida Corporation


By:      /s/ N. Larry McPherson           Attest:        /s/ Regina M.  Ifland
N. Larry McPherson                        Printed Name:  Regina Ifland
Executive Vice President



CONSENT OF GUARANTORS:      The undersigned Guarantors do hereby consent to this
Amendment:

APPAREL NETWORK CORPORATION, a
Florida Corporation

By:        /s/ N. Larry McPherson         Attest:         /s/ Regina M. Ifland
N. Larry McPherson                        Printed Name:   Regina Ifland
Executive Vice President


TROPICAL SPORTSWEAR COMPANY, INC.,
a Delaware corporation


By:        /s/ N. Larry McPherson         Attest:         /s/ Regina M. Ifland
N. Larry McPherson                        Printed Name:   Regina Ifland
Executive Vice President


SAVANE INTERNATIONAL CORP., a
Texas corporation


 By:       /s/ N. Larry McPherson         Attest:         /s/ Regina M. Ifland
N. Larry McPherson                        Printed Name:   Regina Ifland
Executive Vice President

LENDER:

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. d/b/a NATIONSBANK, N.A., a national banking
association


By:        /s/ Richard M. Bartholomae     Attest:         /s/ Veronica Rohm
Richard M. Bartholomae                    Printed Name:   Veronica Rohm
Vice President