5 reasons why Tennessee is one of the best college football experiences in America

There are certain aspects of attending a college football game that set it apart from pro football. Not that the NFL isn’t great, but there’s just some things — the electricity in the air, the unique atmospheres, the crowds, the passion — that make attending a college game an experience unlike any other. A game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee is no different, and completely different, all at once.

1. Location

There are some preconceived notions about Knoxville and the home of the Vols. A lot of people who have never been to a Tennessee game come in and expect a university with a football field and that’s about it. Ya know, kinda like it is at Auburn. Just kidding (sort of 8^).

But Knoxville is a sprawling town with plenty to do within walking distance of the campus and the field. Two areas, in particular, stand out — The Old City and Gay Street, which are within a few blocks of each other and not too awful far from the stadium. Both have bars and clubs, like Suttree’s on Gay Street — a spot that serves mostly high gravity beers — and Jig and Reel, an Irish-themed whiskey bar with well-above-par food for such an establishment. If that’s not your thing, there’s a wonderful wine and spirits store, called Corks, that has a wine bar along with a wonderfully knowledgeable and helpful staff if you’d rather take your drinks back to your hotel, like the local Marriott or the Tennessean, which are both in relatively close proximity to the downtown area.

While Knoxville isn’t a huge metro area with five-star dining options around every corner, there are still plenty of fantastic, locally owned places to eat. The Lonesome Dove is in the Old City, and their steaks are worth a stop. Emilia is located right off Gay Street in a location known as Market Square. It’s mostly Italian contemporary, if that’s more along the lines of what you’re looking for. JC Holdway is a couple blocks away from Market Square, and I’ve never had a bad experience. The food, the service, the ambiance — *chef’s kiss*. There’s also the French Market Creperie in the Gay Street/ downtown area, which serves crepes savory and sweet, as well as Chesapeake’s which serves some of the best seafood you’ll find in a landlocked state.

2. The Vol Walk

Now the Vols aren’t alone here, as gameday traditions are a huge reason that makes college football games such diverse and fulfilling occasions. But to go to a Tennessee game means going early to catch the Vol Walk. Crowds fill the sides of the streets about two hours before kickoff as the Pride of the Southland Band plays Rocky Top and the coaches and players make the walk down Peyton Manning Pass and into the stadium.

Fans who get there early enough often get the chance to interact with the players, as seen in the video. But even people who have no chance of getting a high-five from their favorite Vol still attend, just to be a part of the event.

3. Running through the T

This is likely one of the most famous traditions in college football and certainly one of the best and most distinctive. Again, the Pride of the Southland band takes the field and splits formation into a “T” with the bottom end facing the tunnel the players use to take the field. Honestly, it’s hard to put into words. It’s one of those moments that will send a chill down your neck. Have a watch, with some history behind how the tradition began:

4. The Vol Navy

As you may or may not know, Neyland Stadium is one of three college venues accessible by water. The field sits on the banks of the Tennessee River, and as early as Tuesday or Wednesday during a game week, the boats of the Volunteer Navy make their way to the docks just outside the stadium.

Angelina Alcantar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The slips are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the area around the docks can hold upwards of 100,000 people — so it gets, well, a little crazy. The Volunteer Landing Marina also has a one-mile long promenade with restaurants, paddle boarding, pontoon and houseboat rental options.

5. The Crowd

A Tennessee game wouldn’t be a Tennessee game without the fans. The school has downsized some in recent years, but at an official tally of 101,915 Neyland Stadium still houses the sixth-most fans in college football. In 2023 during a home game against Georgia, the Vol fans’ roar peaked at a new collegiate record of 137 decibels on the opening play of the game — a 75-yard house call for running back Jaylen Wright.

The previous record of 133.6 was held by the Washington Huskies from a 1992 game against Nebraska.

That opening play certainly made some noise, but the game ended up a good-ole fashioned shellacking as Georgia took home a 38-10 win.

But that’s what makes Vol fans a major part of the college football experience of a Tennessee game. They show up, all the time.

Despite wandering in the woods of college football obscurity for the better part of a decade and a half, if not more, attendance at Vol football games remained relatively high considering the string of bad coaching hires and subsequently bad football teams. After Philip Fulmer was fired in 2008 and before Heupel took over in 2021, UT won less than 60 percent of its games but failed to clear an average of 90,000 fans at home games in just two seasons — 2012 and 2019 (excluding the 2020 COVID season). And in 2019, the average home-game attendance was still good enough to be in the national top-10, despite starting the season at 2-6.

Last season, in Josh Heupel’s third year as Head Coach, Tennessee sold out every home game and drew a grand total of 713,405 fans, which was the most in the SEC and third in the country. And for the second-straight season, Tennessee has once again sold out its allotment of season tickets for this year. Who knows how the season will go, but one thing is for sure — Vol fans will be there.