The university welcomes football fans and alumni to campus this Saturday for Homecoming.
Kickoff is set for 12:01 p.m. EST for the Volunteers’ game against the Auburn University Tigers. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. ESPN will televise the game.
The university reminds fans of new security rules that prohibit backpacks of any kind or size from entering Neyland Stadium. All items, including purses, are subject to search at the gates. Purses or other bags larger than twelve inches by twelve inches by twelve inches cannot be brought into the stadium.
The UT Police Department encourages all fans to come to the stadium carrying as little as possible to expedite their entry into the stadium.
These items also are prohibited:
- alcoholic beverages, cans, bottles, or coolers
- radios without headphones
- open umbrellas
- video cameras
- stadium seats with arms
- weapons of any kind, including pocket knives
No items can be left or stored at stadium gates. Fans can bring the following items inside the stadium, provided they meet the size requirement:
- cushions and seats without arms
- small diaper bags that accompany infants
- small cameras, pagers, cell phones, and binoculars
UT also reminds fans to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. All fans are asked to call 865-974-3111 or 911. From their cell phones, fans can send an anonymous report of suspicious activity by texting the letters “UTPD” followed by the location and details pertaining to an incident to Tip411 (847411).
Fans are encouraged to follow @UTGameday on Twitter for the latest updates on traffic, weather, gate information, and game day events such as the Vol Walk and band march.
Select individual game tickets are available at uttix.com.
Homecoming Events
“Cirque du Rocky Top” is this year’s Homecoming theme.
Presented by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, Homecoming activities will begin on Friday, November 8, with the annual parade at 4:00 p.m. Alumna Carol Aebersold, creator of the popular children’s book The Elf on the Shelf, will serve as parade grand marshal.
Homecoming’s signature event, Party in the Park, will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in Circle Park. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, cheers by the pep band and cheerleaders, the world’s largest Moon Pie, and children’s activities. The cost is $12 for adults, $8 for children age ten and under.
Colleges and student organizations also will host reunion activities throughout the weekend. For a list of all event details including registration information, visit volsconnect.com.
Game Day Activities
The traditional Vol Walk will start at 9:45 a.m. on Volunteer Boulevard near Circle Park, as the members of the football team proceed down Volunteer Boulevard and then continue down Peyton Manning Pass to the stadium.
The Pride of the Southland Marching Band will begin marching at 10:20 a.m. from their new home at the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center on Volunteer Boulevard and will then follow the same path as the Vol Walk. The band will be joined by more than 400 alumni band members.
Fans also can attend the College of Arts and Sciences Pregame Showcase. Held two hours before each home game kickoff in the University Center Ballroom, the showcase is a free thirty-minute presentation by a UT faculty member. This week, at 10:01 a.m., Jon Shefner, professor and head of the department of sociology, will present “Making the Cuts: Austerity Policies and Their Social Implications.”
Parking and Traffic
Due to campus construction, fans are encouraged to arrive early. For complete information on game day parking, stadium regulations, and activities, visit utsports.com. The latest information on campus construction can be found on the Cone Zone.
Only fans with permits can park on campus. UT encourages others to use shuttle buses from the Old City, the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, and the Market Square area of downtown Knoxville, and Farragut High School in west Knoxville. Many area hotels also offer shuttle service to the game.
Under state law, no smoking is allowed anywhere inside the stadium. Fans cannot leave the stadium and be readmitted.
Commercial solicitation in front of Neyland Stadium from Middle Way Drive to Gate 10 is prohibited starting four hours before kickoff and continuing until the game is over.
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C O N T A C T :
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, charles.primm@tennessee.edu)