The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, welcomes fans to campus Saturday, Sept. 9, for the first home football game of the season. The Vols will host Austin Peay State University for the second time in program history.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. EDT in Neyland Stadium. Gates open at 3 p.m. A digital-only broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and SEC Network+. Fans are encouraged to visit utsports.com/gameday/football for the latest updates on game information.
Game Day Activities
Truly’s Tailgate, where fans can enjoy food and drinks, will open at 1 p.m. Tickets are required after 3 p.m.
The Toyota Volunteer Village located in Humanities Plaza is open from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. There, fans can enjoy live entertainment, food, games and more.
The fan favorite Vol Walk will begin at 2:45 p.m., with the Pride of the Southland Band march scheduled for 3:20 p.m.
A pregame flyover will feature Black Hawk helicopters from the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Gate Reminders and Stadium Upgrades
Students will line up along Phillip Fulmer Way and enter the stadium at Gate 10. Students and other fans who enter at Gate 10 will go through the same security checkpoint before being separated. Students will be routed to their seats using a portion of the new south ramp. There are additional gate changes:
- Lower West Club will enter at Gate 16-A.
- All gates will now be able to check medical bags
- Gate 21 is the designated ADA support entry point.
- Gates 4–8 will not be operational this season.
Fans will enter Truly’s Tailgate at Gates 9, 11, and 12. New permanent restrooms will be available underneath the Gate 10 ramp.
RockyTopWifi, Neyland Stadium’s new Wi-Fi system, will be a work in progress throughout the 2023 season. Fans will see Wi-Fi available around the immediate perimeter of the stadium and at each gate to assist with ticket scanning. Those fans seated throughout the lower bowl will see Wi-Fi in most areas, and all fans seated in the premium sections will see Wi-Fi this Saturday. Fans should note, they will not see RockyTopWifi in every section of the stadium. Join RockyTopWifi from your mobile device settings. No registration is required.
New phone charging stations will be available in premium and public areas of the stadium.
Fans entering through premium gates — Gates 15, 19, 18, 16-A, 26 and 23 — as well as Gate 21, Gate 10 and Truly’s Tailgate will take part in a walkthrough weapons detection system before scanning their ticket. Fans should have their mobile devices ready to scan, but they will not have to remove keys or wallets from their pockets.
Digital Tickets and Parking Passes
All tickets and parking passes will be digital and can be accessed through a mobile device. Fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and download their tickets to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay before arriving on campus. Fans can find additional information on the UT Athletics Digital Ticketing Guide.
Fans who need assistance with their digital tickets can visit ticket office locations at Gates 21 and 23.
Game Day Parking and Shuttles
Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. Detailed parking information is available on the Parking and Transportation football web page.
There is no paid public parking on campus. Shuttles for season ticket parking permit holders will begin running three hours before kickoff at 2 p.m.
Free ADA parking is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis on the UT Institute of Agriculture campus. An accessible shuttle will drop fans off at the Student Union loading dock.
Public parking is available in downtown Knoxville garages and lots. The State Street and Market Square garages are free. Other parking areas range in price from $10 to $40 for cars.
Fans can choose to ride a Knox Area Transit bus to campus. A day pass costs $2, and there are five routes that can take fans to Cumberland Avenue. KAT also offers four shuttle routes that begin three hours before kickoff to and from the following locations:
- Civic Coliseum – $10 round-trip per person with additional parking fee
- Old City – $10 round-trip per person with additional parking fee
- Market Square/Krutch Park – $10 round-trip per person
- Farragut High School – $20 round-trip per person
Game Day Safety Measures
- Fans can bring into the stadium one unopened factory-sealed clear water bottle and one empty clear water bottle per person.
- As required by the SEC, fans are allowed to bring to the stadium one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear resealable plastic storage bag. They also will be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. No other bags will be allowed inside the stadium.
- Fans interested in purchasing an approved clear bag can visit the Official Team Store at Neyland Stadium; VolShop locations in the Student Union, at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street and in University Commons; and other area retailers.
- All items are subject to search at gates.
- The clear bag policy has more information.
- Fans can report suspicious activity by texting 865-974-9898 with their seat location (concourse, section, row, seat number) and issue.
- Smoking is prohibited at UT, including within private vehicles parked or operated on university property. The prohibition extends to any lighted tobacco, electronic cigarettes and other vape devices.
- Anyone attempting to enter the stadium with alcohol will be denied entry.
- The same policies apply to fans sitting in the student section of the stadium.
- Unmanned aircraft systems are prohibited on university property beginning four hours before the scheduled kickoff time of a football game, during the game and for two hours after the conclusion of the game.
Other prohibited items
- Artificial noisemakers
- Open umbrellas
- Outside food, snacks and beverages (unless medically necessary)
- Radios without headphones
- Video cameras, professional cameras and cameras with detachable lenses
- Stadium seats with arms or side pockets
- Selfie sticks
- Weapons of any kind, including pocket knives
No items can be stored or left at the gates. Fans can bring the following items inside the stadium, subject to search at the gates:
- Cushions or seats without arms or side pockets
- Small cameras, binoculars and mobile phones
- Small bags with medically necessary items (Note: Diapers and non-medically necessary items for babies and young children must be carried in a clear bag.)
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CONTACT:
Lisa Leko (865-974-8698, lleko@utk.edu)
Bill Martin (864-974-4167, billmartin@tennessee.edu)