The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will welcome fans to campus Saturday, Sept. 19, as the Vols take on Kennesaw State University in their second home game of the 2026 season. This will be the first time the Vols have faced the Kennesaw State Owls in football.
Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. inside Neyland Stadium. Gates will open at 5:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network and via the ESPN app on smartphones, tablets and connected streaming devices or through ESPN’s website.
The game falls during UT’s annual Fall Family Weekend, which gives Volunteer families the opportunity to experience UT’s rich traditions and culture firsthand.
Additionally, Spirit Day will make its return for the first time since 2024. Nearly 500 youth, middle and high school cheer and dance teams will have the chance to perform with the Tennessee spirit teams before the game.
Fans can listen to the official Tennessee Athletics 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. 175 or 228) and the Sirius XM app (Ch. 952) and the Varsity app.
The official Spanish radio broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990. A live audio stream of the broadcasts in both English and Spanish will 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.
Salute to service
The matchup is designated as the university’s annual Salute to Service game presented by Standard Nuclear.
Before the game, active service members and student veterans will lead the Vol Walk.
The annual Army and Air Force ROTC contracting ceremony will occur during halftime. Cadets will take their formal oath of enlistment and commit to serving the United States toward the south end of the stadium. A military-themed light show will close out halftime.
Game day activities
Located outside Gate 9, Truly’s Tailgate has expanded with Texas Roadhouse for fans to enjoy starting at 3:45 p.m. Truly’s will stay open through the third quarter, giving fans in the South Concourse a variety of food, drinks and additional restroom options.
Volunteer Village, presented by Toyota, will be open at 4:15 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 5:30 p.m. at the Torchbearer statue in Circle Park. It will continue down Peyton Manning Pass before turning left on Phillip Fulmer Way and into the stadium through Gate 21A. Smokey XII is scheduled to join in the Vol Walk.
Tailgate Tennessee will be located in Circle Park and the Summitt Blue Lawn at the Humanities Plaza starting at 12:45 p.m. Drop-off lanes will open at 4:15 p.m. and close at noon.
Lindsey Nelson Stadium hosts the Volunteer Club Tailgate on every home game day. Volunteer Club members can enjoy an open premium bar, shaded seating, the opportunity to meet Vol athletes and other benefits. The tailgate will begin at 3:45 p.m., and members can enter through the left field foul pole gate.
The Pride of the Southland Band will begin its march to Neyland Stadium at 6:05 p.m. The band will start on Pat Head Summitt Street, take a left onto Volunteer Boulevard and proceed down Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway before entering the stadium through Gate 25. The Salute to the Hill will take place at the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway.
Gate information
Gates will open for all fans at 5:15 p.m. Students will enter the stadium at the southeast corner at Gate 4.
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 are digital and can be accessed through a mobile device. Parking passes use the same mobile technology as all tickets. Fans will no longer see a QR code and should see a moving bar code on parking passes. 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 Play before arriving on campus. Fans can find additional information in the UT Athletics digital ticketing guide.
Ticket representatives will be at Peyton Manning Pass and Gates 10, 21 and 23 to help fans in need of assistance with digital tickets.
Stadium upgrades and enhancements
Neyland Stadium, preserved by Pilot, will feature extended perimeter security checkpoints this season at these locations:
- Phillip Fulmer Way at G10 Entrance
- Phillip Fulmer Way at the amphitheatre
- Top of Peyton Manning Pass (Near Circle Park)
- Southeast plaza staircase (near the student gate)
- Tee Martin Drive at Gates 1,3 and 26
- Parking lots 9, 9B, G5 and G30
Neyland Stadium now features an elite modern sound system developed in consultation with industry-leading Danley Sound Labs, Stellar Vision and Sound, and Precision Audio. The south video board speakers have been replaced, and the technology provides exceptional sound clarity.
Fans on the third level of the south end zone will see a wider concourse on the southeast corner adjacent to the elevators. An outdated restroom has been replaced, new water bottle filler fountains added and additional televisions installed throughout the third level. A walk-through concessions market will be available.
The new Champions Corner will serve as a centerpiece to the plaza outside Gate 9 on the southwest side of the stadium. It will honor the Vols’ national championship head coaches, including Gen. Robert Neyland, Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer. Neyland’s statue moved there over the summer, and statues recognizing Dickey and Fulmer will be unveiled later in the fall.
Campus traffic and parking
New game day parking and traffic arrangements will be in effect throughout the 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.
Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. Detailed parking information is available on the Tennessee football parking map.
Fans with a parking permit for Lot 9/9B and Middle Drive can turn onto Phillip Fulmer Way from Cumberland Avenue. No vehicles will be permitted access to Lot 9/9B down 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.
Limited paid public parking will be available along Volunteer Boulevard West between Todd Helton Drive and Cumberland Avenue. These ParkMobile spaces will cost $60.
Approximately 150 accessible parking spaces on the UT Institute of Agriculture campus will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. A football parking pass is not required, but vehicles must have a valid accessible parking placard or license plate. An accessible shuttle will drop fans off at the Student Union loading dock beginning four hours before kickoff. The shuttle will run for one hour after the game.
Rideshares will drop off and pick up on the Hill.
Fans with designated parking passes are advised to enter campus via the recommended routes. It is recommended that those without parking passes avoid the campus corridor and walk from the downtown area or use the KAT shuttle options.
To accommodate the Vol Walk and band march, Volunteer Boulevard from east Andy Holt Avenue to Pat Head Summitt Street to Lake Loudoun Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic for approximately 30 minutes beginning five minutes before the scheduled start time for the Vol Walk. Parking permit holders for lots in that area should arrive two hours before kickoff to avoid traffic and pedestrian congestion.
Following the game, drivers at some locations will be asked to go in the opposite direction of traditional patterns to help expedite the flow of traffic.
Three westbound lanes on Neyland Drive will take vehicles toward Alcoa Highway, I-40 and Kingston Pike. The far left lane will function as a Kingston Pike express lane.
There will be an increased UT Police Department presence and more active management of traffic on the west side of campus around the UT Institute of Agriculture campus, in Lots G11 and G17, and around Volunteer Boulevard
Fort Sanders parking will be divided into three zones on game days, with the Knoxville Police Department helping move traffic following the game.
As construction continues on the Neyland Entertainment District, a portion of the Neyland Greenway has been temporarily detoured to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other users.
The temporary route directs greenway users around the construction area along Neyland Drive between Lake Loudoun Boulevard and the boathouse. The detour, approved by the City of Knoxville, is clearly marked. Users should follow posted signs and use caution while traveling through the area. The detour will remain in place during this phase of construction.
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. Shuttles will begin running at 3:45 p.m. A day pass costs $2, and three routes can take fans to Cumberland Avenue.
KAT will also offer two shuttles for the game that begin four 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 are available for purchase only through KAT’s free official app, Transit. After purchasing shuttle tickets, do not activate them until just before boarding the shuttle on game day. Day passes can also be purchased through the app.
Shuttles that previously dropped off at Circle Park will now drop off on Volunteer Boulevard at the Stokley Garage (G16).
Additional shuttle service will be provided from Old City for SEC games.
Game day safety measures
The following safety measures will be in effect:
- Drones and unmanned aircraft systems are prohibited on university property beginning four hours before the scheduled kickoff time and ending 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. The clear bag policy has more information.
- All items are subject to search at gates.
- 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
Other prohibited items include the following:
- Artificial noisemakers
- Open umbrellas
- Outside food, snacks and beverages (unless medically necessary)
- Radios without headphones
- Video cameras, professional cameras and cameras with detachable lenses
- Drones
- 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:
Erica Estep (865-974-2225, [email protected])
Bill Martin (865-974-4167, [email protected])