Games in Newly Expanded Neyland Stadium
The 200 season marks the 14th expansion of Neyland Stadium as new suites are being added high atop the East upper deck. This will bring Neyland Stadium's capacity to over 104,000. These spring and summer expansions tend to mark time in UT football history and following are the first games played with every new expansion.
Tennessee 13 - Carson-Newman 0, Sept. 25, 1926:
This was the 1st addition to Neyland Stadium as the initial East stands were built. The 17 rows and 3,600 seats gave the stadium equal amount of seats on both the East and West sides of the field. This day also marked the 1st game Captain Bob Neyland coached in the now famed stadium. Total capacity after completion: 6,800. This photo shows the original east stands in 1921.
Tennessee 40 - Centre 0, Sept. 28, 1929:
Four seasons later, UT still had not lost a home game going 19-0-2 since the 1st addition. Forty-two rows were added to the West stands adding 11,060 seats bringing total capacity to 17,860.
Tennessee 32 - Wake Forrest 0, Sept. 25, 1937:
Major Neyland was in his 2nd year of a 2nd stint as head coach starting the '37 season. A small, extended addition was added to the north side of the West stands which stood until 1980. The addition was the old Section X and added 1,500 seats. Total capacity after completion: 19, 360.
Tennessee 26 - Sewanee 3, Sept. 24, 1938:
This was the start of an incredible three year run by the Vols. From 1938 through the '40 season, UT's overall record was 31-2. The '38 squad claimed the Vols first ever SEC Title and would win it again in '39 and '40. The Vols gave up a total of 75 points over this 3 year span, including a whitewash of all the '39 regular season foes. The Sewanee game saw the addition of 44 rows and 10,030 seats to the East stands bringing total capacity to 31,390 (the East stands are to the right in this photo).
Miss. St. 21 - Tennessee 6, Sept. 25, 1948:
The single largest addition to the stadium saw the Bulldogs spoil the opener for the Vols. This addition made the stadium a horseshoe as the South endzone was bowled in and added 15,000 seats. UT would finish a disappointing 4-4-2 in '48 but did beat Alabama at home for the high point of the season. The first photo shows construction during the '47 season, only about half as high as it would be when finished. Fans actually used the new stands to the left in this photo during the '47 season. The second photo shows the finished endzone
Alabama 27 - Tennessee 7, Oct. 20, 1962:
UT opened up with 3 road games in '62 and didn't play in Neyland until the 3rd week in October. A Joe Namath led Alabama team dismantled the Vols. It was the last season for Bowden Wyatt at UT, finishing 4-6. This game also marked the first time Bear Bryant won in Neyland Stadium in 7 tries. After a 14 year hiatus from additions to the stadium, this construction brought the West upper deck and a new press box and added a total of 5,837 seats. General Neyland never saw the addition however. He died in March of the '62 and the stadium was officially renamed "Neyland Stadium" on this day. Total capacity after completion: 52,227.
Alabama 11 - Tennessee 10, Oct. 15, 1966:
Doug Dickey was in his third season as UT head coach in '66 and had the Vols back on the right track again. Contruction on the North endzone stands was started in the summer but were not ready for the home opener the 1st of October vs Rice but were finished for the much anticipated UT-Bama game. This addition added 5,895 seats and brought capacity to 58,122. These stands stood until 1980. In a complete quagmire, the Vols jumped on top 10-0 early but Alabama took an 11-10 lead in the 4th quarter. UT drove to the Bama 3 but missed a chip shot field goal as time expired. UT would finish the season 8-3 with a Gator Bowl win over Syracuse. This first photo shows the new north bleachers from the hill with an ABC camera lifted by a crane high above the new addition.
Tennessee 17 - Georgia 17, Sept. 14, 1968:
The East upper deck was added for the '68 season, adding 6,307 seats and brought total capacity to 64,429. Also unique to this game was the addition of artificial turf, the first collegiate game ever to be played on a "rug". UT and UGA played in the opener on ABC and UT scored 8 points with literally no time on the clock to score a tie with the Bulldogs.
Tennessee 28 - Penn State 21, Sept. 16, 1972:
This game had more pomp and circumstance than any of the new addition games we'll cover. This game had it all. Penn St. made a return trip to Knoxville for this game after being throttled in December of the '71 game by the Vols 31-11. It also was the first night game ever played at Neyland Stadium. The southwest upper deck was added to the stadium, adding 9,600 seats bringing capacity to 70,650. This addition put Tennessee in the top 10 in average attendance since that statistic was kept by the NCAA, starting with the '59 season. UT has never fallen out of the top 10 in attendance since the '72 season, and only once have finished worse than the #2 spot since '80 (finished 3rd in '94). As a side note, Penn State lost just 2 regular season games in '71 and '72, both to the Vols in Neyland Stadium.
Duke 21 - Tennessee 18, Sept. 11, 1976:
The '76 season saw Neyland Stadium made into a double-decked horseshoe as the southwest upper deck completed the upper deck bowl on the south end. It added 9,600 seats and brought capacity to 80,250. The new upper deck "VOLS" sign was added at the top of the stadium as well. The game however was not as impressive as the new addition. UT would miss all three extra point tries and fall to Duke on this night game. It would be Bill Battle's last season coaching the Vols as they finished 6-5.
Georgia 16 - Tennessee 15, Sept. 6, 1980:
The north stands were demolished along with the '37 addition, section X, so that the permanent north endzone could be constructed. The lower deck, north bowl itself had 16,944 seats, but the net of the construction was 10,599. Total capacity was now 91,249. Tennessee has held the #2 average attendance position in 18 of the 20 seasons since this addition. UT was #1 in attendance in '97 and held the #3 spot in '94. The game is best remembered for the debut of Georgia's Hershel Walker, running over UT's Bill Bates for a touchdown. UT jumped out to a 15-0 lead but fell behind 16-15. It is often forgotten that UT drove for what appeared to be the winning score before James Berry of the Vols fumbled on the UGA 1 yard line to seal the Vol's fate.
Tennessee 49 - Colorado St. 3, Sept. 5, 1987:
The '87 season was the longest in UT football history at the time. It started on August 30th with a win over Iowa in the Kickoff Classic and ended on Jan. 2, 1988 with a win over Indiana in the Peach Bowl. The new pressbox and 42 executive suites were added to the west upper deck. Because of the sheer size of the pressbox/suites, capacity was actually reduced by 139 seats. Total capacity at this point was 91,110.
Tennessee 62 - UNLV 3, August 31, 1996:
In what probably was the most overmatched team in a UT home opener, UNLV was clearly out-classed in this game. The Vols led 35-3 at half and 56-3 at the end of the 3rd stanza and called off the dogs in the 4th. The addition of the north upper deck brought General Neyland's original idea of a double-deck, 100,000 seat stadium to fruition some 60 years later. He would've been proud for sure. The addition itself added 10,642 seats and brought official capacity to 102,544.
Tennessee 19- Southern Miss 16, Sept. 2, 2000:
Travis Henry ran for 135 yards in only 3 quarters of action. UT jumps on top of USM 19-3 but have to hang on for the 3 point victory. A new attendence record was set on this night with 108,064.
Well that's the way it was. Thirteen games in 75 seasons. They don't come around often, but they are never forgotten.