Fans heading to Neyland Stadium for Tennessee’s 2026 football opener against Furman will run into a different postgame experience on Sept. 5.
Tennessee Athletics says improved traffic patterns will be in place beginning with that 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff, part of a broader plan aimed at making departures from major events on Rocky Top move more smoothly. The changes were tested in May during two big events at Neyland Stadium: Luke Combs’ My Kinda Saturday Night Tour on May 2 and the Savannah Bananas game on May 23.
The effort comes out of a long list of collaborators, with Tennessee Athletics working alongside Visit Knoxville, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, TDOT, KPD, UTPD, campus leadership and engineering consultant Kimley-Horn.
“This project has required close collaboration with numerous local partners, and we are excited to see the plan realized this fall,” said Tennessee Athletics Director and Vice Chancellor Danny White. “Enhancing the fan experience when leaving Neyland has been a key focus for us, and this initiative marks a significant step forward.”
The most noticeable changes will come after the game, when traffic around campus will be directed differently than fans may be used to. Three westbound lanes on Neyland Drive will funnel vehicles toward Alcoa Highway, I-40 and Kingston Pike, with the far-left lane serving as a Kingston Pike Express Lane to help cut down on backups.
Fans with designated parking passes are being told to follow the recommended campus entry routes laid out by Kimley-Horn Engineering and Design consultants. Those without parking passes are encouraged to steer clear of the campus corridor altogether, stay downtown or use KAT shuttle options.
The guidance also makes clear that some drivers may be routed opposite of the usual daily flow in order to speed up traffic after major events. Kimley-Horn says fans should be ready to “go east to go west or go south to head west.”
That means a few routes may actually move faster than the obvious ones. The plan notes four easterly routes leaving campus that connect to westbound Interstate 40, and it also points to a path using southbound Alcoa Highway, then westbound Pellissippi Parkway, then westbound Interstate 40.
There are also specific instructions for some of the campus parking areas. Fans parked on the west side of campus around the AG school, G11, G17 or near Volunteer Blvd. should expect more University Police presence and a more active pull of traffic. Fans parked in the Fort will now see three gameday zones, with KPD managing traffic in each area to keep the postgame flow coordinated.
Cumberland and Neyland Drives are still expected to be heavily congested before and after the game, and anyone without a parking pass is advised to avoid those areas if possible. Only cars with permits for Lot 9 and Middle Drive will be allowed to turn onto Phillip Fulmer Way from Cumberland Ave. No cars will be allowed access to Lot 9 down Peyton Manning Pass, and only pre-approved / commercial vehicles will be permitted up Phillip Fulmer from Lake Loudoun Blvd.
Ride-share users also have a new note to remember: pre- and post-game pick-ups and drop-offs will be at “The Hill.”
For fans without a parking pass, KAT shuttles are another option. The city operates shuttle service from the Civic Coliseum and Market Square parking garages for all games, with additional shuttle service from Old City for SEC-only games.
Visit Knoxville president Kim Bumpas said the work is meant to improve the overall experience for visitors.
“Visit Knoxville is proud to be part of this collaborative effort to enhance the experience for everyone coming to Knoxville for major events,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “This partnership creates an experience for our visitors that extends well beyond the event itself, and improving traffic flow and post-event navigation helps make their entire time in our destination more seamless and enjoyable.”
Chris Rhodes, the Kimley-Horn project lead, framed the effort around the fan experience as well.
“For those of us who have spent a lifetime cheering for the Vols, this project was more than transportation planning,” said Chris Rhodes, project lead for the Kimley-Horn team. “It was an opportunity to team with Visit Knoxville, the City, Knox County, TDOT, and UT stakeholders to create a gameday playbook designed around the fan experience. Because while the final score matters, the memories fans take home often begin and end with how they get to and from Neyland Stadium.”
The Furman game will open Tennessee’s 130th football season, and the Vols will bring a streak of 27 consecutive Neyland Stadium sellouts into it.
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