School: University of Tennessee
Team: Tennessee Volunteers
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Conference: SEC
Stadium: Neyland Stadium (Capacity: 102,455)
Grab a bright orange flannel, flip on some Kenny Chesney and head towards the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee for this adventure. Hard to believe tucked between this mountain range is one of the largest football stadiums in the world. Their blinding bright orange gear is truly one of the best looking in college football and the Rocky Top fight song is about as memorable as they come. (You will have the song on repeat in your head on Sunday, trust me.) Mix in a bit of southern hospitality, barbecue and Tennessee whiskey and you have yourself a great college weekend.
The Weekend
Travel: Flights into Knoxville are not plentiful so this depends on where you are coming from. If you’re lucky enough to be able to fly in and out of McGhee Tyson then you are only about 20 minutes from downtown. However, a second option, albeit quite lengthy, would be to fly into Nashville and make the three-hour trek east.
Lodging: There are a lot of hotels in downtown Knoxville and if you are a veteran you will know to book early! Once places like the Downtown Hilton (short walk from Neyland) are booked up, you may be caught hopping on the highway to find something.
Local Food: The historic Market Square area of downtown is great for a football Friday night. Lots of restaurants and bars to choose from – I would suggest trying Stock and Barrel. Big burgers paired with bourbon make for a nice appetizer before game day. Make sure you get a burger with locally sourced Smoky Mountain Country bacon.
Local Drink: If you will be in Market Square, there are plenty of bars to wash down that burger. Preservation Pub is a good one with lots of craft beer and live music. Stroll down the square and you’ll find a number of other bars with people outside and in, as the excitement is brewing for game day.
The Tailgate
There are a lot of options in Knoxville. Let me give you two. the G-10 Parking Garage and parking lots around it offer good space to post up. I’ve had one of the tailgate companies meet us there and lock down a spot early morning of game day – the location is conveniently located right near the stadium and there will be plenty of tailgaters in this area to party with.
However, if you happen to know a few local boaters or can come up with one yourself, the Tennessee River would be a unique way to tailgate before the game. Not a lot of schools give you the opportunity to boat-gate right outside the stadium in a river!
Unique Tradition
While every school has their fight song, “Rocky Top” is one that stands out. You will be in the thick of the Smoky Mountains, surrounded by the brightest orange you’ve seen, listening over and over again to “Good Ol’ Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee”. Embrace it, you will hear the crowd sing it all day long.
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