Tennessee’s Home Field Advantage
By Mark Nagi
Have you had the chance to see a game at Neyland Stadium recently? I sure hope that you have because man, oh man, has it been fun.
Tennessee has won 13 straight games at Shields-Watkins Field, a streak that goes back to November 20, 2021. Their last loss coming the week before to the eventual national champions from Georgia.
The Vols have also won 7 straight SEC games, something they haven’t done since the glory days of the late 1990s.
Since Josh Heupel was hired as Tennessee’s head coach in 2021, the Vols are now 16-3 when playing games in Knoxville, which is quite the departure from the Jeremy Pruitt era, when UT went a woeful 9-11 at home, and only 5-8 against SEC opponents.
The Vols also play a fun, up tempo style which is much… much more pleasing than what we saw during the Pruitt era, which at times barely could pass as a group that tried to score points.
Winning helps make the gameday experience much better, but that’s not all. From the traditional Vol Walk and Pride of the Southland Marching Band performances, to the post TD fireworks and North end zone party deck, one of college football’s cathedrals just keeps getting better.
Phase 1 of the Neyland Stadium renovation project will cost $337 million. Among the improvements we have already seen are new restrooms under the Gate 10 ramp and better wi-fi for spectators to use. TV timeouts are a purge on viewers, but at least fans can play on their phones while waiting for the action to resume.
Next Fall there will be southeast elevators vertically connecting all concourses, a new Gate 4 entry plaza, as well as initial construction for the west side Founders Suites, new restrooms and concessions on north concourse two.
In the Fall of 2025, you’ll see an expanded south concourse 1 with increased restrooms, enhanced concessions, and a wider concourse with the completion of entry plazas happening in 2026.
There’s so much happening on the UT campus these days, and Neyland Stadium is the main attraction.
Neyland Stadium has a capacity of 101,915, the 6th largest college football stadium in the country and according to UT, the 8th largest stadium on the planet. It’s a special place, and one that you should try to visit soon.
