Gen. Robert Neyland has a new home at the stadium that bears his name.
The General’s statue is now the centerpiece of Champions Corner. A new plaza outside Gate 9 that will eventually bring together the three head coaches who led Tennessee football to national championships.
Statues of Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer will join Neyland later this fall, giving Tennessee a permanent place outside the stadium to celebrate its championship history.
“Winning a national championship in football is not an easy thing to do,” Tennessee Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Longworth said. “So having a spot around our football stadium that we can celebrate that and point back to the history, I think is really important for our fans and our program.”
The Neyland statue was dedicated in 2010 and previously stood on the west side of the stadium. Its new location allows fans to visit Champions Corner throughout the year, not just on game days.
“I think getting the General back over here and getting the General in a location that no matter what day of the week it is, no matter what time of the year, fans can come take their photo with him,” Longworth said.
Champions Corner is one of several changes fans will notice at Neyland Stadium this fall.
Inside the stadium, Tennessee addressed congestion on the third level of the south end zone by expanding the southeast concourse. The additional space gives fans more room to move between their seats, restrooms, and concessions that once felt like “interstate traffic at rush hour.”
“When you get to the top of the ramp, I think our fans are going to see something completely new and completely different,” Longworth said. “We were able to add some extended concourses that it’s just going to open it up.”
The third level also received 12 new restroom fixtures, eight water bottle filling fountains and additional televisions. New walk-through concession markets are expected to be installed before Tennessee hosts Kennesaw State.
Fans should also hear a difference.
Neyland has a new sound system designed to provide more consistent volume and clarity throughout the 100,000-seat stadium.
“Sound has been an issue in Neyland for a long time. And it’s an issue in a lot of large venues,” Longworth said. “It wasn’t a quick turnkey fix.”
The goal is for the clarity and volume to remain consistent whether fans are near the field or sitting in the upper reaches of the stadium.
Tennessee also worked with the City of Knoxville, Visit Knoxville, local law enforcement and transportation officials to improve postgame traffic. The plan will include using two lanes to move traffic toward Alcoa Highway and Interstate 40.
Fans will also encounter an adjusted security perimeter on the west side of the stadium. The changes come to the placement of fencing and metal detectors.
From honoring the coaches who built Tennessee’s championship history to addressing some of the practical headaches of a 100,000-seat stadium, the changes will be on display when the Vols open their season Saturday against Furman.
