Your first trip to Neyland??

[DeusExMachina]

Posting this because on September 13th (UGA game), I get the privilege of taking my wife to her first-ever game at Neyland. Before anyone asks, we've been married 23 years, but she doesn't fan like I do. That having been said, after taking her to the Arkansas game last year (which didn't go our way) and her making fun of how pitiful their home crowd was......I finally talked her into going to a game with me at the true cathedral of college football. I wanted her to experience Neyland at "full rock", so getting tickets to one of the directional schools was out of the question. I've already warned her that "it's going to be LOUD", and she's okay with that. Pretty excited for her to experience what I've experienced many times over the course of my fandom.

I know the question's been asked before "what was your first game at Neyland", this one's a little different. Let's talk about your thoughts when you walked into Neyland for the first time ever. I can clearly remember thinking "this is the biggest stadium I've ever seen" and "I will never hear anything as loud as this" (that last one.....let's just say I've been to a Slipknot concert and was very near the speakers, but it's really daggone close).

 

[camp_steveo]

Steelers v Patriots

 

[Orangeslice13]

1980
Tennessee vs Georgia.

 

[SquirrelOrange3]

Steelers v Patriots

I think the 1982 one may have been my first game in Neyland too. It's the first one I remember. My brother would wear a Steelers jersey to school and I'd wear a Pats jersey. I don't remember the number of either jersey, but I suspect mine had to be Stanley Morgan's number 86, especially if Dad bought them and not Mom. The first Tennessee game I remember attending was the 1984 Bama game.

 

[lukeneyland]

Was a little kid dad took me to 1999 home opener. I think we played Wyoming. I actually remember where we sat up in the North Upper deck where they’ve put that stupid standing area

 

[ru4real-really?]

1980
Tennessee vs Georgia.

Amazing! That was the last game for me! North end zone still open. Night game in Sept. Hershel Walker steamrolled Bill Bates! Haven’t been back since that one but it was a good one to remember!

 

[Jravol78]

1986 vs UTEP

 

[WestTennesseeFox]

2004 v Florida

 

[Orangesmokey]

1984 LSU.... I was three.... I don't remember much but I do still have the ticket stub.

 

[hound dog hillbil]

82,tn vs bama ,bear Bryant final yr.

 

[SprocketRocket]

The 1975 game against North Texas State. Our HS band made the trip and played in the halftime show. We lost but I became a lifelong VOLS fan that day. I remember thinking how huge the stadium was. I also remember walking in on a bunch of the girls changing clothes on the bus. Good times.

 

[Proud Army Wife]

2019 vs Miss State. I remember thinking this must be how the gladiators felt in Roman times lol. That was also the first year they started alcohol sales in Neyland and I missed a quarter of the game standing in the beer line. 2nd game was ‘23 SC blackout game and it was just incredible. I’m coming for the OK game Nov 1st and I am stoked. I wish I could go to more, but of course I live out of state so I only come to Knoxville every couple years or so. I’ve also attended games at Clemson and here in Wyoming and they just don’t compare to Neyland. I don’t think there’s many that do.

 

[05_never_again]

2002 Rutgers. Rutgers ran the opening kickoff back for a TD. In a funny twist of fate, that was Greg Schiano's second season at there.

 

[zeppelin128]

2000 Tennessee vs. Florida

Yep, that game. Introduced me to the real experience of being a Tennessee fan lol. Also created a fairly intense hatred of all things Gator (I was a Kentucky fan when I was a kid, yeah yeah I know blame my family not me). Neyland cured that Kentucky issue in about 15 minutes.

 

[WillisWG]

listened to quite a few games on the radio before making it to Neyland but my first was the 1970 45-0 drubbing of Kentucky

 

[ksgovols]

Tennessee vs Southern Cal- 1980

17-20

 

[meanbass123]

2006 vs LSU

 

[newyorkvol]

1992 Florida rain game

 

[MocVol]

November 9th, 1974. Vols vs. Memphis State, afternoon game. Went with a group from the North River YMCA in Chattanooga. Condredge Holloway was the quarterback and I got his orange and white sweatband after the game. Yeah, kinda gross, but cool. Still have it in a box here somewhere. The stadium wasn't as loud as nowadays because it was a horseshoe and I sat in the bleachers in the open end. It was homecoming and Elton John was the concert that night in Stokely Athletic Center. Awesome day!

 

[vavolfan6]

My first game was vs Arkansas St in 2014 which I find to be ironic since Butch was the coach at UT back then but now the coach at Arkansas St.

I went just becuase I just moved full time into Knoxville, had nothing to do, and was able to scalp some tickets for cheap. Just walking to the stadium and being engulfed in orange got me immediately hooked. There is nothing like the energy on gameday. The pageantry is great too. The Vol Walk, the Vol Navy, the pre-game rituals, the opening of the T, even playing the opposite team's fight song, etc. Up until that point I only followed the NFL. But seeing what UT means to Knoxville and the passion that goes with it it is unrivaled.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Amazing! That was the last game for me! North end zone still open. Night game in Sept. Hershel Walker steamrolled Bill Bates! Haven’t been back since that one but it was a good one to remember!

We fumbled late about to score.
Should have won that one.
I was at the 45 about 35 rows up

 

[zeppelin128]

2002 Rutgers. Rutgers ran the opening kickoff back for a TD. In a funny twist of fate, that was Greg Schiano's second season at there.

If memory serves they went up 14-0 pretty quick before we got our **** together.

My oldest sister came to that game with me. The only other game she'd been to was the bizarre Memphis loss with that utterly stacked team and Peyton.

I told her never again, she's bad luck. Lol

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

99 Vandy game was my first in Neyland. Senior Day for many of the contributors to our greatest triumph ever.

 

[Go Fight Win]

Posting this because on September 13th (UGA game), I get the privilege of taking my wife to her first-ever game at Neyland. Before anyone asks, we've been married 23 years, but she doesn't fan like I do. That having been said, after taking her to the Arkansas game last year (which didn't go our way) and her making fun of how pitiful their home crowd was......I finally talked her into going to a game with me at the true cathedral of college football. I wanted her to experience Neyland at "full rock", so getting tickets to one of the directional schools was out of the question. I've already warned her that "it's going to be LOUD", and she's okay with that. Pretty excited for her to experience what I've experienced many times over the course of my fandom.

I know the question's been asked before "what was your first game at Neyland", this one's a little different. Let's talk about your thoughts when you walked into Neyland for the first time ever. I can clearly remember thinking "this is the biggest stadium I've ever seen" and "I will never hear anything as loud as this" (that last one.....let's just say I've been to a Slipknot concert and was very near the speakers, but it's really daggone close).

you're going to have a great time. Awesome first game experience for her incoming

 

[Adam2014]

Tennessee vs. Notre Dame in 2004.