Your first trip to Neyland??

[GUNTERSVOL]

1959 Auburn season opener..,,, I was 8. At least this is the first game where I consistently faced the field and not concentrating on the concession stand. Loved those hotdogs with the meaty chili.

Pretty sure it was the 60’ KY game where I learned to drink coffee. Coldest game of my life and they sold out of hot chocolate. Section V and would have been under the upper deck except there was none.

 

[UT_Dutchman]

1982 vs Duke, sat in south endzone upper deck.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

November 18th, 1989
My first thoughts would need to be censored but it was a true feeling of awe.

PS I remember the date as a young running back set the rushing record that stands today. Chuck Webb was an absolute phenom that game.

I hate asterisks but...Ole Miss was three weeks away from the tragic incident that paralyzed Chucky Mullins and they obviously hadn't recovered mentally at that point. One of the memories that really stands out that game was one of frats ( maybe more, I honestly don't know) from UT went around the stadium collecting cash in trash bags to donate to Chucky Mullins and his family.

 

[MadMaxSC]

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).

1955, my Dad took me to see Georgia Tech game that ended in a 7-7 tie. It was an overflow crowd of 50K.

 

[Volrocketman]

Unfortunately, I don't remember my first football game at Neyland, but it had to be sometime in '68, '69, or '70. The first event I can remember in Neyland was the Billy Graham crusade (had to look it up - May '70). The first UT football game I can actually remember attending was the Sugar Bowl, Jan 1, 1971. Pretty sure we attended a few games throughout the '70s. The first real Neyland experience I had was the first game of my freshmen year as a member of the POTS band - UT vs UCLA, fall of '78. Team entered from the old locker room on the East side of the field. I was near the base of the T on the East sideline. When we split the T and the team came running out, it was nothing but pure noise - the loudest sound I had heard in my life up to that point. I couldn't hear myself playing (sousaphone), much less the people on either side of me. Attendance was just under 86,000 (again, had to look it up), so I can't even imagine what it's like for POTS members now with 100,000+ at full bore.

 

[HeavenUniversity]

As long as all goes well, it will be vs Arkansas this October. Hopefully not much of this lol—

 

[Carl Pickens]

1992 Florida rain game

I think that was the most entertaining game I’ve been to. It was a freaking party

 

[Carl Pickens]

1985 TN vs GA Tech 6-6 tie

 

[mercuryvol]

Sept 27, 1969. UT vs. Auburn. 45-19 Vols. I was a freshman and used to that green toilet called Legion Field in Birmingham. Neyland looked like the promised land with the new Tartan turf in comparison. Being there is still the best sporting experience in my life, win or lose.

 

[Capt Whiskey]

1986 Opener vs New Mexico. Vols won 35-21. I was 7 years old. That started my streak of going to all home games until the end of the 2015 season. Butch Jones soured me on TN football so bad I didn’t take my season tickets in 2016. I’m now kicking myself over that decision.

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

I was a 9 year old visiting the World’s Fair from out of state. We lost to Duke.

Then I returned for graduate school in 1996 and saw a 62-3 beatdown vs UNLV.

 

[Volizona]

I think that was the most entertaining game I’ve been to. It was a freaking party

I remember the whole stadium doing loud mocking Gator chomps in the 4th quarter.

 

[ENGRVOL]

1992 Florida game in the downpour

 

[wmcovol]

1968 Tennessee vs Ole Miss. Vols won 31-0. Archie Manning’s was their QB.

 

[Carl Pickens]

I remember the whole stadium doing loud mocking Gator chomps in the 4th quarter.

The student section was filling up drink cups with water that was running down the bleachers and then shelling the Florida bench…. The cops and everyone else on their sideline that was in range. I saw a few bounce off of Gator helmets

 

[Vol737]

I was a little kid in the 70s, about six or so and my first game at Neyland was Tennessee vs Vanderbilt. We lost, but I was completely enthralled with college football. Knew I would come to Tennessee. My luck didn't get better for a long time, either. I then saw us lose to Alabama at Neyland when we had Johnny Jones, then twice to UGA (home and away in the Herschel Walker years), lose to GA Tech in Atlanta and tie UCLA at home. I was 0-5-1 my first six games I attended.

 

[BigorangeBoy]

My brother in law played tennis for UT, and it was common for the wives of athletes to work at the school. My sister worked in the ticket office for Gus, and my parents got tickets to the GT game in 1967. I didn’t miss a home game until 1979 when I had mono my sophomore year.

 

[DuckInAPen]

1985 TN vs GA Tech 6-6 tie

I was young, but I remember my father's grim mood as we exited the stadium.

 

[scvol98]

1959 Auburn season opener..,,, I was 8. At least this is the first game where I consistently faced the field and not concentrating on the concession stand. Loved those hotdogs with the meaty chili.

Pretty sure it was the 60’ KY game where I learned to drink coffee. Coldest game of my life and they sold out of hot chocolate. Section V and would have been under the upper deck except there was none.

Arnold Zandi was probably selling those hotdogs!

 

[orangebloodgmc]

1966, I think, was my first visit. I was 10. Dad took me and my two little brothers to 2 different JV (freshman) games as tickets were cheaper and less crowded. We saw Notre Dame and Army. One of those was in a light rain, but we made ponchos out of big trash bags. The light crowds made the whole thing eerily quiet, surreal. I loved it.

 

[feathersax]

My first game in Neyland was 1964 vs. Kentucky. My aunt & uncle took me, & it was a thrill. Doug Dickey was in his 1st season at Tennessee, & the "single wing" was gone. Vols lost the game 7-12, but it was clear that Tennessee had turned the page.

 

[Carl Pickens]

I was young, but I remember my father's grim mood as we exited the stadium.

It was the first game after Tony Robinson went down with his knee injury. We thought the season was circling the drain. After the game they were 3-1-2. Our conversation walking back to the car was all about what the hell kind of record is 3-1-2?

 

[865Original]

1999, Tennessee versus Memphis. I was 12 and my brother was 9. Game days we would walk to the stadium to sell lineups. Standing on the corner, my brother tapped me. He was holding about eight tickets! We'd sold lineups for years but had never actually been inside the stadium. My selling days were over for that day! We sold six of the tickets, kept two for ourselves, and walked right into the game. A huge shoutout to the guy who randomly handed my brother those tickets. My brother passed away in a car wreck in Knoxville in 2022. Rest in peace, bro.

 

[ptcarter]

1965. I was a little kid (obviously..) UT vs. Army. Section K. I read somewhere that was the first time they ran through the T. Don't remember that, but, BY GOD , I was there. My favorite player, Jerry Smith. Not sure why.

 

[ptcarter]

The student section was filling up drink cups with water that was running down the bleachers and then shelling the Florida bench…. The cops and everyone else on their sideline that was in range. I saw a few bounce off of Gator helmets

Nobody predicted that downpour. Sun was out on the way to the stadium and after the game. I was in G under the upper deck (dry) above the student section. My date pointed out it was an involuntary wet-tee shirt contest. Me, I was paying attention to her and the game and didn't notice it. (right)