The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will welcome fans to campus Saturday, Sept. 6, as the Vols take on East Tennessee State University in their first home football game of the season. This is only the second meeting between the Volunteers and the Buccaneers.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. inside Neyland Stadium. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. The game will be a digital-only broadcast on ESPN+/SEC Network+, accessible via the ESPN app on smartphones, tablets and connected streaming devices or through ESPN’s website.
Fans can listen to Tennessee Athletics’ official radio broadcast on the Vol Network of 70 stations across Tennessee and the Southeast (locally, WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1), SiriusXM (Ch. 158 or 191) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 961), and the Varsity app.
Tennessee’s official Spanish radio broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990. A live audio stream of the broadcasts in both English and Spanish will also be available on the UT Sports website and the Tennessee Athletics app.
Fans are encouraged to visit the UT Sports website for the latest game day information.
Game Day Activities
Located outside Gate 9, Truly’s Tailgate will open at 11:30 a.m. Fans can enjoy food from Texas Roadhouse, Scoops Ice Cream Shop, Good Ol’ Chicken Shack, Mac’nMore, Petro’s Chili and Chips, Calhoun’s, the General’s Grill and more.
Volunteer Village, presented by Toyota, will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Humanities Plaza. Fans with or without a game ticket can enjoy live music, food trucks, games and activities before kickoff.
The Vol Walk — the football team’s walk to Neyland Stadium — will begin at 1:10 p.m. at the Torchbearer statue in Circle Park. From there it will move down Peyton Manning Pass before turning left on Phillip Fulmer Way and into the stadium.
This season, the Pride of the Southland Band will take a new route on its march to Neyland Stadium. Starting at 2 p.m. from the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, the band will proceed down Volunteer Boulevard, pass Torchbearer Plaza and continue along Peyton Manning Pass before entering the stadium. The change is a return to a historic route.
Weather permitting, a pregame flyover will feature an HC-130 from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
Gate Information
Gates will open for all fans at 1:30 p.m. Students will enter the stadium at the southeast corner at Gate 4. Gates 5, 6, 7 and 8 are not operational this season.
Gate 21 is the designated ADA support entry point, and accessible elevators are located at Gates 15, 21 and 26. Medical bags can be checked at all gates.
Digital Tickets and Parking Passes
All tickets and parking passes will be digital and can be accessed through a mobile device. Parking passes will use the same mobile technology as all tickets. Fans will no longer see a QR code and should see a moving barcode on parking passes. A reminder, fans will not be able to use screen shots for entry.
Fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the 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.
Stadium Upgrades and Enhancements
As the presenting partner of the Neyland Stadium renovation project, Pilot Company has invested in upgrading and enhancing the fan experience for the 2025 season.
Beginning this fall, Neyland Stadium will be a cashless venue. This applies to all retail locations inside the stadium, including concession stands and the Vol Shop.
Fans visiting the south concourse will find an expanded Gate 9 entrance, a significantly wider concourse to ease congestion, new and larger restrooms, and a UT Medical first aid station. An additional elevator in the southeast corner will provide convenient access to all three levels of Neyland Stadium.
Chairback seats throughout the stadium have been redesigned to limit reclining, providing a more comfortable experience for fans seated behind them.
Campus Traffic and Parking Changes
Tennessee Athletics and the UT Police Department have announced game day parking and traffic updates for the 2025 season. Starting at 5 a.m., Peyton Manning Pass and Phillip Fulmer Way from Cumberland Avenue to Lake Loudoun Boulevard will be closed to all vehicle traffic.
Fans with a parking permit for Lot 9 or Middle Drive can turn onto Phillip Fulmer Way from Cumberland Avenue. Cars cannot enter Lot 9 from Peyton Manning Pass. Fans with a parking permit for the G10 Garage can enter from Neyland Drive. Cars cannot enter G10 from Phillip Fulmer Way. Fans with a parking permit for Lot 30 can enter as usual from Volunteer Boulevard via Peyton Manning Pass. After the game, vehicles can exit from Lots 9 and 30 via Peyton Manning Pass.
Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. Detailed parking information is available on the Tennessee football parking map. Shuttles for season ticket parking permit holders will begin running three hours before kickoff, starting at 12:30 p.m.
There is limited paid public parking on campus along Volunteer Boulevard West between Todd Helton Drive and Cumberland Avenue. These ParkMobile spaces will cost $60.
Free accessible parking is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis on the UT Institute of Agriculture campus. A valid accessible parking placard or license plate is required. An accessible shuttle will drop fans off at the Student Union loading dock beginning three hours before kickoff. The shuttle will run for one hour after the game.
Rideshares will drop off and pick up on the Hill.
Downtown Parking and Shuttles
Public parking is available in downtown Knoxville garages and lots. Prices range from $3 to $60 for cars. Metered locations cost $40.
Fans can choose to ride a Knoxville Area Transit bus to campus. A day pass costs $2, and three routes can take fans to Cumberland Avenue. KAT will offer two shuttles for the game that begin three hours before kickoff from the following locations:
- Civic Coliseum
- Market Square/Krutch Park
Each shuttle is $10 round trip per person. Additional parking fees may apply.
Shuttle tickets will be available for purchase only through KAT’s free official app, Transit. After purchasing shuttle tickets, do not activate them until just before you board the shuttle on game day. Day passes can also be purchased through the Transit app.
All shuttles that previously dropped off at Circle Park will now drop off on Volunteer Boulevard at the Stokely Garage (G16).
Game Day Safety Measures
- Drones and 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.
- Fans can bring 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 one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear resealable plastic storage bag into the stadium. 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.
- 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.
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 pocketknives
- Strollers
- Signs larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches
No items can be stored or left at the gates. Fans can bring the following items inside the stadium, subject to search:
- 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, including snacks, must be carried in a clear bag.)
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Leko (865-974-8698, lleko@utk.edu)
Bill Martin (865-974-4167, billmartin@tennessee.edu)