KNOXVILLE — Visitors to Neyland Stadium will see a flyover of military aircraft before this weekend’s football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 9.
UT Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Jeff Maples said fans will see aircraft from the 301st Fighter Wing in Ft. Worth, Texas and the 917th Wing in Bossier City, La.
“The military aircraft will fly in close formation over the stadium in conjunction with the singing of the national anthem,” Maples said. “It will be an impressive sight.”
Maples said standard security measures will be in place in and around Neyland Stadium.
Gates will open at 5 p.m. Saturday, and visitors are encouraged to enter the stadium early.
Fans are allowed to bring the following items inside the stadium:
-cushions and seats without arms;
-diaper bags that accompany infants;
-small cameras, pagers, cell phones and binoculars.
No items or parcels can be stored at any stadium gate.
All items, including purses, are subject to search.
The list of items that spectators cannot bring to the game includes:
-alcoholic beverages, cans, bottles or coolers;
-radios without headphones;
-open umbrellas;
-video cameras;
-stadium seats with arms;
-large bags or parcels, including backpacks and large purses;
-weapons of any kind.
Security measures outside Neyland Stadium are the same as in previous years, Maples said.
Smoking is no longer allowed in the stadium except in ramp areas and the Gate 21 plaza.
Peyton Manning Pass, Middle and Lower drives, Estabrook Drive and Phillip Fulmer Way from Middle Drive to Tee Martin Drive will be closed 30 minutes before kickoff. Directional parking will be used in Area 9 and Lots 4, 5A and 5B.
Starting three hours prior to kickoff Saturday, traffic on Andy Holt Avenue will flow both eastbound and westbound. During and immediately after the game, Andy Holt Avenue will revert back to its permanent designation of one-way westbound.
Due to construction, sidewalks on the north side of Andy Holt Avenue and the east side of Volunteer Boulevard at Glocker have been closed, along with the sidewalk on the east side of Lake Loudoun Boulevard at the corner of Neyland Drive.
Solicitation near stadium gates and along Phillip Fulmer Way will be prohibited.
The game will be telecast on pay-per-view through various cable providers.
The traditional Vol Walk from Gibbs Hall to the stadium starts at 4:45 p.m., and the Pride of the Southland marching band leaves the music building at 5:20 p.m.
With a seating capacity of 102,039, Neyland Stadium is the largest football stadium in the South and the third-largest in the country. Tennessee has averaged 105,176 per game attendance over the past nine seasons, drawing nearly four million fans during that time.
For more information on campus parking, visit http://www.tennessee.edu/news/traffic.pdf.
For more information on traveling to Knoxville, visit the UT Mens Athletics Web site at http://utsports.cstv.com/travel/tenn-travel.html or the Tennessee Department of Transportation Web site at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/closures.asp.
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Contact: Jeff Maples (865-974-3061)
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