The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will round out Homecoming week Saturday, Nov. 15, welcoming fans to campus for its football game against New Mexico State University. The game marks the first time the Volunteers and Aggies have met on the gridiron.
Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. EST in Neyland Stadium. Gates will open at 1:45 p.m., two and a half hours before kickoff. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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 radio (Ch. 106 or 190) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 960), and the Varsity app. Tennessee’s official Spanish-language broadcast will air locally on WNML-AM 990. Live audio streams of both broadcasts will also be available on the UT Sports website and the Tennessee Athletics app.
Fans are encouraged to visit the UT Sports website and download the Tennessee Athletics app for the latest game day information.
Homecoming celebrations
Each year, Homecoming invites current students, alumni and fans to celebrate the history and traditions that make Rocky Top special. This year’s theme is Torchbearers and Trailblazers, honoring the icons and people who have been ingrained into the fabric of the UT community.
Before Saturday’s game, the public is invited to the university’s annual Homecoming parade and Little Vol Walk on Friday, Nov. 14. The procession will begin at 4 p.m. on Volunteer Boulevard across from Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium, continue north to Circle Park, and end on Peyton Manning Pass in front of Neyland Stadium. A map of the parade route is available online.
This year’s grand marshal is UT Space Institute graduate and former astronaut Butch Wilmore (’94). Most recently, Wilmore traveled to space on the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight in 2024 and spent more than nine months in orbit after a spacecraft malfunction extended the mission.
The Pride of the Southland Band will welcome alumni to march alongside current members during its halftime performance.
Honoring the nation’s service members
With Veterans Day earlier in the week on Tuesday, Nov. 11, the matchup is designated as the university’s annual Salute to Service game.
Before the game, active service members and student veterans will lead the Vol Walk.
On the field, the Vols will wear their “Volunteer Spirit” Smokey Grey uniforms as a tribute to the nation’s armed forces.
The Pride of the Southland Band will also dedicate its performance to service members. Student and alumni musicians will be joined by bagpipers and drummers from Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis to perform patriotic music honoring past, present and future American heroes. Band alumnus Corporal Andrew Crowell, assistant enlisted conductor of the 2nd Marine Division Band, will serve as drum major for the day.
A military-themed light show will close out halftime.
Salute to Service is one of several events the university is hosting in November to honor the nation’s service members, veterans and their families.
Seismograph measures fan impact in real time
This season, UT is displaying real-time seismic readings on the video boards inside Neyland Stadium to show the powerful energy fans create when they cheer on the Vols.
Tennessee Athletics partnered with the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences to install a seismograph inside Neyland Stadium. Experts can read the seismometer and within seconds put the results on the video boards inside the stadium for the crowd to see and react to, creating an immersive experience for fans. Seismic readings in the stadium so far this season have peaked at 5.97 and 6.15 magnitudes.
Game day activities
The Vol Walk will begin at 2 p.m. at the Torchbearer statue in Circle Park. The football team, coaches and staff, and spirit team will continue down Peyton Manning Pass and turn onto Phillip Fulmer Way before entering the stadium. A map of the walk is available online.
The Pride of the Southland Band will begin its march to Neyland Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on Pat Head Summitt Street, proceeding along Volunteer Boulevard and down the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway. The Salute to the Hill will take place at the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and the walkway entrance before the band enters the stadium at Gate 2. A map of the march is available online.
Located outside Gate 9, Truly’s Tailgate will be open from 12:15 p.m. through the end of the third quarter. Fans can enjoy food, drinks and additional restrooms.
Volunteer Village, presented by Toyota, will open at 12:45 p.m. on the Humanities Plaza. Fans with or without a game ticket can enjoy live music, food trucks, and games and activities for all ages before kickoff.
Gate information and stadium access
Gates will open for all fans at 1:45 p.m. Suggested entrances based on seating location will be marked on game tickets and outside the stadium, with a full list available on the UT Sports website.
Students will enter the stadium at the southeast corner at Gate 4.
Gate 21 is the designated ADA support entry point, with accessible elevators located at Gates 15, 21 and 26. Medical bags can be checked at all gates.
Gates 1, 3, 16 and 16A will be exit only. Gates 5, 6, 7 and 8 are not operational this season.
An additional staircase at the southeast edge of Lot S30/G5 will aid access between parking and tailgate areas and the stadium.
Digital tickets and transactions
Game tickets and parking passes will be digital and must be accessed on a mobile device. Screenshots will not be accepted for entry into parking lots or the game. Those needing assistance can visit the ticket office locations at Gates 21 and 23. More information is available on the UT Athletics digital ticketing guide.
Neyland Stadium is a cashless venue. This applies to all retail locations inside the stadium, including concession stands and the Vol Shop. Additional information about changes and enhancements inside the stadium is available on the UT Sports website.
Campus and downtown parking and transportation
Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. Shuttles for season ticket parking permit holders will begin running three hours before kickoff, at 1:15 p.m.
Free accessible parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on the UT Institute of Agriculture campus with a valid accessible parking placard or license plate. An accessible shuttle will drop fans at the Student Union loading dock beginning at 1:15 p.m. and will run for one hour after the game.
Limited paid public parking will be available on campus along Volunteer Boulevard West between Todd Helton Drive and Cumberland Avenue. These ParkMobile spaces will cost $60.
More information about on-campus parking is available on the Tennessee football parking map.
Downtown Knoxville garages and lots will offer public parking ranging from $3 to $60. Metered spots will cost $40.
Knoxville Area Transit offers three regular Saturday routes that stop two blocks from Neyland Stadium at the intersection of James Agee Street and Cumberland Avenue. A day pass is $2. KAT will also begin running game day shuttles three hours before kickoff originating from the Civic Coliseum and Market Square/Krutch Park. Round-trip tickets cost $10, and additional parking fees may apply. Day passes and shuttle tickets can be purchased through KAT’s Transit app. Riders should refrain from activating shuttle tickets until just before boarding.
Shuttles from the UT Institute of Agriculture campus and off-campus locations will drop off at the Stokely Garage (G16) on Volunteer Boulevard. Rideshares will drop off and pick up at the Hill.
On-campus traffic
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 will not be able to enter Lot 9 from Peyton Manning Pass. Those with a parking permit for Lot 30 can enter from Volunteer Boulevard via Peyton Manning Pass. After the game, vehicles can exit from Lots 9 and 30 via Peyton Manning Pass. Entry into and exit from the G10 Garage will be limited to Neyland Drive.
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.)
—
MEDIA CONTACT:
Maggie Palmer (865-974-3993, mpalme19@utk.edu)
Bill Martin (865-974-4167, billmartin@tennessee.edu)