Neyland Stadium - Home of the Tennessee Volunteers

Official Review by Chad Minton, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

No college football stadium can compare to the 102,000-plus seat stadium that serves as home of the Tennessee Volunteers. During seasons when the Vols are competing with the nation’s best teams, no other stadium can get louder than Neyland Stadium. In fact, the largest recorded crowd to ever enjoy a game at Neyland Stadium was just above 109,000 in 2004. To put that into perspective, that’s several times larger than your average population for a U.S. town. The sound generated from the fans has virtually no escape with the way the stadium is constructed at such a vertical angle. Even during a tough time like the Vols are facing now in the 2012/2013 season, they still enjoy a home field that a vast majority of teams would love to have.

Neyland Stadium has been around for nearly 100 years and has seen some great teams play on its surface along the way. When the Vols finally return to success, you can bet that seeing a game at Neyland Stadium will be one of the hottest tickets in college football. Until that happens, there’s still plenty to be desired for this great stage for college football.

Food & Beverage    3

Prices were very fair for such a big time venue like Neyland Stadium. Hebrew National hot dogs were the choice for me, and they were a great choice for just $4. All the other basics were offered, and new for the 2012 season, the concessions are offering three different dishes which feature the addition of pulled pork: an angus burger, a hot dog, and nachos all topped with the signature puled pork . There's no alcohol offered at Neyland Stadium due to it being located on campus and there are no vendors roaming the stands, but if you think you'll be thirsty enough for multiple sodas, or will be attending numerous games, be sure to get the 32oz souvenir soda which is refillable all season long-first purchase is $7.00 with one free refill and $3.00 for subsequent refills. There are plenty of concession stands to keep you from having to miss too much of the action.

Atmosphere    5

You can't ask for a more impressive college football experience when attending a game at Neyland Stadium. The sheer size of Neyland Stadium once you get in your seat will leave you amazed that mankind could build such a structure. There are reminders all around the stadium of the great teams that have come and gone for the University of Tennessee, and you better believe that Peyton Manning gets mentioned, as well.

Perhaps the biggest memory is seeing the Vols run through the "Power T", which started in a game against Army in 1965. This was truly a great college football tradition to witness in person. To add onto the tradition aspect that is so important in college football is hearing the thousands of fans sing "Rocky Top" is something that really completes this great atmosphere for college football.

Now obviously, the Vols are going through extremely rough times as they've started their third-straight season in 2012 at 0-5 in the SEC. That certainly had somewhat of a damper on the atmosphere. However, it's going to take more than a few seasons of mediocrity to really affect the great atmosphere you get at Neyland Stadium.

Neighborhood    5

Neyland Stadium is nestled right along the Tennessee River and the University of Tennessee's campus in Knoxville. What makes the neighborhood so great is how you don't need a vehicle to enjoy yourself before and after the game. The main strip known as Cumberland Avenue has numerous eating establishments and bars to help you have a fun time whether you're a visitor or a native.

Two places that should be mentioned are Half Barrell and Goal Post Tavern. Both are sports bars that are perfect for catching the rest of the college football action aside from your game at Neyland Stadium. The food at Half Barrell was excellent as well, and being very affordable is an added bonus. Goal Post Tavern will give you a more UT-themed experience.

Fans    4

The fans of the Tennessee Volunteers are some of the most passionate fans you will see in college football. Even in tough times, these fans for this somewhat meaningless game against Troy University were still very energetic. With that said, the fans were visibly upset at the situation that their Vols are in right now. They weren't shy about illustrating their frustrations that the Vols were struggling to stop a team from the Sun Belt. These fans had every reason to be upset right now, and it was impressive to see how passionate they were about how the game was playing out. Some fans would just sit on their hands and sigh in disbelief.

The only thing that these fans could've been faulted for was the lack of noise they made at the beginning of the game. Maybe, they thought the Vols wouldn't need their vocal support, but the fans rose to the challenge when the game was in doubt in the fourth quarter.

Access    3

If you don't mind making a 10-minute walk, then it's advised that you do that instead of fighting the cluster of traffic following the game. There was a major traffic jam after the game, and it was mainly due to the huge stampede of people walking out of the stadium all at once. Keep in mind that this was for a game that was well below full capacity of Neyland Stadium. I could only imagine how much of a gridlock it would've been for a Tennessee-Florida game. Taking a taxi to the main strip proved to be the more convenient option.

Inside the stadium there are plenty of bathrooms to keep the lines low, and the concourse is very wide as well to allow for easy movement.

Return on Investment    5

First and foremost, there is not a bad seat in Neyland Stadium. Even sitting way up top will offer you a great view for the game. For non-conference games like the one I attended, you can get tickets for less than $30 in the upper deck. Obviously for big SEC games, the price is going to dramatically increase.

Luck was on my side for this game as a stadium usher was kind enough to let us sit in the lower bowl instead of making the long trek up top. Due to that kind gesture, the experience was well worth the price. I assume that I'm not the only lucky one that has been treated to a kind gesture by a stadium staff member during a game that wasn't sold out.

Combine that with the affordable concession stand prices, and you can enjoy an experience full of college football tradition for a very fair price.

Extras    4

Two tributes were made to two very special members of the UT family. One went to arguably one of the best coaches in sports history, Pat Summitt. As you could expect, the entire stadium gave a long lasting applause that was well deserved. The other tribute went to the retirement of Smokey IX, and the induction of Smokey X. Both pooches paused for a photo opp, which was a cool thing to witness.

An extra point goes to the friendliness of the stadium staff, including the one that helped us out.

Finally, a huge extra goes to how much there is to do within walking distance of Neyland Stadium. Forget the hassle of driving for one night, and enjoy Knoxville after the game.