KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, welcomes fans to campus Saturday for the Volunteers’ game against the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EDT. Neyland Stadium gates will open at 5:45 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
The traditional Vol Walk will begin at 6:05 p.m. at the Torchbearer statue on Volunteer Boulevard, then proceed down Peyton Manning Pass, then left onto Phillip Fulmer Way.
The Pride of the Southland Band march will begin at 6:10 p.m. in front of the music building and will proceed along Volunteer Boulevard to Andy Holt Avenue and then on to the stadium.
Due to the closure of Interstate 40 in North Carolina, near the Tennessee state line, westbound travelers to Knoxville must detour around the closure. Motorists can take I-40 West to I-240 West in Asheville to I-26 West in Asheville, then to I-81 South in Tennessee and back to I-40 West to Knoxville. Motorists leaving Knoxville eastbound can follow the reverse directions.
More on the road closure can be found by visiting the Tennessee Department of Transportation Web site at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/.
Since Saturday is Halloween, campus and law enforcement authorities are increasing the safety measures in and around Neyland Stadium:
- Fans wearing Halloween costumes will be allowed to enter the stadium, but will be searched to ensure that no prohibited items enter the stadium
- No masks of any kind will be permitted, and will be confiscated if discovered, although face painting is allowed
- Masks cannot be stored at any stadium gate
- No props (including toy guns, swords or any simulated weapon) will be permitted inside the stadium
- No banners, posters or signs larger than standard letter-size paper will be permitted
Other prohibited items include the following:
- alcoholic beverages, cans, bottles or coolers
- food items not purchased in the stadium
- radios without headphones
- open umbrellas
- video cameras
- stadium seats with arms
- large bags or parcels, including backpacks and large purses
- weapons of any kind, including pocketknives
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
UT reminds visitors that all items, including purses, are subject to search at the stadium gates. Certain items remain prohibited inside the stadium, and those items cannot be stored at any stadium gate.
Due to the Vol Walk and the band march, Volunteer Boulevard from east Andy Holt Avenue to Lake Loudoun Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Also, Phillip Fulmer Way from east Andy Holt Avenue to Peyton Manning Pass will be closed from 6 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. Parking permit holders in Staff Lot 9 and other parking lots in this area should arrive two hours prior to kickoff in order to avoid vehicular traffic and pedestrian congestion.
The Volunteer Village commercial exhibition area will be open on the Humanities Plaza lawn from 4:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., and will feature trick-or-treating and a Halloween costume contest.
Fans also can attend the College of Arts and Sciences’ Pregame Faculty Showcase, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Held two hours before each home game kickoff in the University Center Ballroom, the showcase is a free 30-minute presentation by a UT faculty member, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session. This week, Jed Diamond, associate professor and head of acting in the department of theatre, will lead a discussion session, “All ‘Stars’: UT Actors Seek Fame and Fortune on Stage and Screen.”
Only fans with permits can park on campus. UT encourages fans to use shuttle buses from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, the Old City area of downtown Knoxville, and Farragut High School in west Knoxville. Limited public handicapped parking spaces and handicapped shuttle service to the stadium are available on the UT Agriculture Campus, off Neyland Drive.
Many area hotels also offer shuttle service to the game. Check with your hotel’s management for details.
Tennessee Department of Transportation overhead signs and radio broadcasts will advise motorists which interstate exits to take to arrive on campus. The signs also will advise through-traffic on Interstates 40 and 75 to take the I-640 bypass around downtown Knoxville.
In an effort to reduce wait times, the university is offering express entry lanes at Gates 10 and 21. Those fans with no items subject to search may utilize the express lanes for quicker access to the stadium.
Under state law, no smoking will be allowed anywhere inside the gates of Neyland Stadium. Those fans violating the no-smoking regulation may be escorted out of the stadium. No one inside the gates will be allowed to leave and then be readmitted.
A no-fly zone extends over the stadium from one hour before the game until one hour after it ends, prohibiting flights within a 3-nautical-mile radius and lower than 3,000-feet altitude, except as authorized by air traffic control.
Solicitation near stadium gates and along Phillip Fulmer Way is prohibited.
For those driving on campus, 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.
A limited number of tickets are available at http://www.uttix.com.
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C O N T A C T :
Jeff Maples (865-974-3061, maples@utk.edu)
Brian Browning (865-974-3061, brian-browning@utk.edu)
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, charles.primm@tennessee.edu)