Tennessee Volunteers Football Tickets

Neyland seat picks at a glance

The strongest seats for a Tennessee home game are the middle rows of the lower sideline sections at Neyland Stadium, roughly rows 35 through 58. Those rows clear the players and staff standing along the sideline but still feel close to the field. For an afternoon game in September, pay a little more for a covered row under the upper deck. Fans of the visiting team should look to the south corner, where the visitor block sits.

Before you compare listings, know one quirk: Neyland identifies sections by letters, not by 100- or 200-level numbers. Check the map on any listing so you know which side and level you are buying.

Lettered sections, covered rows and the visitor corner

Neyland has no roof, holds 101,915 and fills for big games, so each decision below changes how your day feels.

Lower sideline: the sweet spot

Section B, which backs the visiting team's bench, is a good example of how the lower sideline works. Its rows climb from 1 to 64, broken by a cross-aisle at rows 28 to 30. Down front you sit at bench height, and the visiting sideline hides the near hash marks. Rows 35 to 58 strike the best balance of height and closeness.

Cover from the sun

Knoxville afternoons in early September are hot. From row 52 up, section B is shaded by the deck overhead, and the upper rows of some other lower sideline sections are covered the same way. That shade is worth the money for an early-season day game. The trade-off is an overhang that cuts off the top of a high punt.

The south end and section GG

Home fans should avoid the south end. Section GG, in the south corner, holds the designated visitor block in rows 16 through 33. Those seats take full sun, and the main video board is behind you. If you are cheering for the road team, though, that block is exactly where you want to be.

Upper rows and corners

When every seat is spoken for, the top rows and the corners are the least expensive way in. Wear good shoes for the stairs, and accept that the opposite goal line will look small.

Vols opponents that tighten ticket supply

At Neyland, the opponent and the kickoff time set the demand.

• Alabama Crimson Tide Football: the Third Saturday in October. The teams first met in 1901, the rivalry got its formal name in 1939, and home sites swap each year between Knoxville and Tuscaloosa, so the Tide come to town in alternate seasons. The name is more tradition than calendar: from 2000 to 2025 the game landed on the actual third Saturday only 13 times. Winners light victory cigars in the locker room.
• Florida Gators Football: the modern SEC rival behind the biggest crowd Neyland has ever held: 109,061 fans on September 18, 2004.
• Georgia Bulldogs Football: a steady SEC draw in the years it comes to Knoxville.
• Kentucky Wildcats Football and Vanderbilt Commodores Football: the border and in-state rivals. A barrel served as the Kentucky–Tennessee trophy for 75 years, from 1925 through 1999.

The toughest ticket of the season is typically an October SEC game under the lights with a ranked team on the other sideline. Early nonconference games are the easiest.

Tennessee Fund priority and why seats resell

Season ticket holders own most of Neyland. Tennessee Athletics explains that to hold on to those seats, a buyer pays the ticket price plus a yearly football Priority Fund donation to the Tennessee Fund, the department's donor arm. Giving several years in a row builds rank, but the school says owning season tickets today is no promise of the same seats later. Students use their own university ticketing system.

That is why the prime midfield seats for the Alabama, Florida and Georgia games stay with long-time donors, and most fans reach them only when a holder resells. On resale, four things move prices: who the visitor is, where each team is ranked, what time the game kicks off and what the weather looks like. A big win on the road can send them up within days, and a losing streak or a rainy forecast can bring them down. Early nonconference games rarely sell out. Reserved Seat is an independent marketplace with no connection to the University of Tennessee, and every order carries a 100% guarantee.

Checkerboards, Rocky Top and the Vol Walk

• The Vol Walk: since 1990, the team has made its way on foot from the Torchbearer statue in Circle Park, along Peyton Manning Pass, to Gate 21-A. It starts roughly two and a half hours before kickoff (the school lists 2:25). Arrive early if you want a place along the route.
• Running Through the T: the school's marching band, the Pride of the Southland, lines up in a giant T, and the team runs through it onto the field.
• "Rocky Top": the unofficial anthem, played often enough that you will know it by halftime.
• Checkerboard end zones: both end zones are painted in orange and white squares.
• Smokey: the mascot you will spot along the field.
• The Vol Navy: the fleet of fans who tailgate on boats moored close to campus.

Knoxville logistics: parking, buses and entry

Neyland Stadium sits on campus, a short distance from downtown Knoxville. Permit holders get most of the nearby parking, so if you are buying one game, count on a more distant garage, a Knoxville Area Transit gameday bus or plenty of walking. Rooms go fast on SEC weekends; reserve as soon as the schedule is released.

Build a long day into your plans. Traffic near campus starts hours before kickoff, and leaving after a full house takes time, so staying downtown and walking over is a common strategy.

As of the 2026 season, the outer security ring opens four hours ahead of kickoff, and the stadium gates follow at two and a half hours. Bags must be clear, up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear bag, plus a small clutch up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Expect phone-only tickets, a no-re-entry rule and card-only concessions, and no overnight tailgating. Rules change, so review the Tennessee Athletics gameday page before you go.

Six titles and the 1998 season: the Vols' record

The Vols played their first season in 1891 and have competed in the Southeastern Conference since 1933. Tennessee counts six national titles (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998) and 13 conference championships.

The 1998 team is the one most fans remember: a perfect 13–0 season capped by a 23–16 win over Florida State for the BCS championship. Robert Neyland, the stadium's namesake, won 173 games over 21 seasons. Four more former Tennessee coaches, Johnny Majors, Phillip Fulmer, Doug Dickey and Bowden Wyatt, have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Because coaches and players come and go, this guide sticks to what lasts. For this season's staff and dates, use the Tennessee Athletics website.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Tennessee Volunteers football
• Wikipedia – Third Saturday in October
• Wikipedia – Neyland Stadium
• Tennessee Athletics – Football Gameday Information
• Tennessee Fund – Season Ticket Information
• RateYourSeats – Neyland Stadium Section B (orientation)
• RateYourSeats – Neyland Stadium Section GG (orientation)