Neyland Stadium has gone through many renovations over the past four years, but this season marks what people involved in the project refer to as “The Master Plan.”
The stadium, which has been home to the Tennessee Volunteers since 1921, has undergone many alterations inside and out. One of the newest major upgrades to Neyland is the addition of the Tennessee Terrace.
The Tennessee Terrace offers a new experience for UT fans, which include 1,800 outdoor seats with cup holders, expanded concession menus, new restrooms, flatscreen TVs and a panoramic view of the Tennessee Campus.
John Painter, associate director of media relations for UT football, characterized the terrace as a more affordable version of a skybox.
“We’ve come up with some plans to improve the stadium, like the club seats and the Tennessee Terrace,” Painter said. “It’s kind of in between a regular-season ticket and a club seat. With the Tennessee Terrace you sit outside, but the seats are a little bit better. But you go into your own area where you can buy concessions, and the price is the same.”
The concession area has also improved with the new additions to Neyland.
Similar to newly constructed stadiums in professional sports, Neyland will now include a large food court, which includes seven different concession areas. The expanded concessions include a grill stand, wraps and salads, a combined Starbucks and ice cream stand, a Petro’s and hotdog stand, a buffet area with weekly specials and other concession stands and snack areas.
Another main focus of renovations was to improve the bathroom areas in the stadium. The renovations have improved water, electricity and sewer issues.
Neyland has also gone through many changes to its exterior. The entrance across from Peyton Manning Pass, Gate 18, now has a new brick entrance. The stadium also includes hanging banners of past UT legends, such as Peyton Manning, Reggie White and General Neyland himself.
The changes have won the approval of first-year coach Derek Dooley.
“It’s absolutely stunning when you walk up,” Dooley said. “To see what has been done, it almost takes you back, and you feel like you’re in Rome, Italy, thousands of years ago. It’s just a monumental structure and it really just speaks for itself. I’ve got to give Mike (Hamilton, UT athletic director) so much credit for the job he did. Not just for the vision of the change, but also for the money put into the renovations.”
Dooley spoke about the importance of saving traditions and fan support during his press conference following Wednesday’s scrimmage.
“I hope the fans appreciate it,” Dooley said. “I think it’s going to do two things: Fans will have a better gameday experience because of it, and also it has to do with a sense of pride. So when they come see it, they’ll feel a part of it.”
Though the total capacity has decreased, the stadium still holds more fans than any other stadium in the SEC and ranks third amongst all football stadiums (both NCAA and NFL) in total capacity, behind Michigan and Penn State’s. The new total capacity of Neyland Stadium is 102,459.
Construction will take a short break during the start of the 2010 season but will continue for years to come.
Saturday marks the first chapter in the life of the newly renovated stadium. The Vols host the UT-Martin Skyhawks and will host games for the following three weeks, including games against Oregon and SEC East rival Florida.
