University of Tennessee Football

Go Vols!

Looking for some fun in the Smokies on a football weekend.  Plan your visit for a home game weekend and get those tickets early.  plan to sit with over 100,000 of your closest friends and cheer on the UT Volunteers (or their opposition) at one of the best football venues in one of the best football towns in the SEC.

Now, UT and other college football communities get a bad reputation for their over-zealousness but if you are coming through town on a Friday afternoon before a home game, there is something that you are going to notice:  lots of ORANGE.  The fan base in and around Knoxville is incredible.  They support their time and the town gets decked with orange from one end to the other.  Bank tellers, fast food restaurants and anything that doesn’t move gets festooned with orange.  As the approach of kickoff draws nigh, the town empties as people gather at the stadium or at their homes to watch the Vols take to the field.

The stadium itself is something to behold.  Neyland Stadium is named after General Robert Neyland,  Neyland was former athletic director and coach of the Vols.  The stadium was founded in 1921 and it is s till on that same location, though it has grown considerably over time.  In 1962, the stadium was renamed Neyland Stadium and it is currently one of the largest college football stadiums in the country.  Attendance has been tracked since 1964 and since that point, it has averaged 68,925 fans per game.  The largest crowd to ever fill the stadium was on September 18,2004 when 109,061 people arrived to watch the Vols beat Florida, 30-28.  Right now, Neyland Stadium is the third largest college stadium behind Michigan Stadium and Beaver Stadium.  Sitting in this large outdoor venue is one of the most exciting ways to take in a college football game.

Tips for going to UT Home game

  • Come Early and Expect to Leave Late
  • No Outside food, snacks or drinks
  • No alcoholic Beverages.
  • Gates open 2 hours before kickoff and not before
  • Bring your RV and tailgate before the game
  • All attendees must have a ticket regardless of age to enter the stadium
  • Parking is free in downtown Knoxville but your are going to have to walk or you are going to have to ride Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) buses to get tot he stadium

Prohibited items

  • Cans, bottles or coolers
  • Radios without headsets
  • Open Umbrellas
  • Video Cameras
  • Stadium seats with arms
  • Large bags of any kind
  • Weapons of any kind (this includes pocket knives)
  • Artificial noisemakers
  • Smoking
  • Strollers

Next time you come to the Smokies during football season why don’t you plan to go to a home game at Neyland stadium?  Sit in one of the biggest football stadiums in the country, watch a great team and experience the fun of SEC football in the Smoky Mountains.