Stadium Experiences

I just purchased tickets to see App State play Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on the opening night of the season. I've never been to Neyland or any SEC stadium for that matter, and I was going to ask those who've been how they liked their experience there. This thread can act as a review for any and all stadiums/arenas/ballparks and our opinions on them.

I've been to a decent amount of venues for a guy my age. My all time favorite to this point has to be Madison Square Garden where I saw a shit Knicks team (Nate Robinson days) beat (pre-South Beach) LeBron and the Cavs.

But since we are inching closer to football, the most impressive in that area was Clemson's Memorial Stadium, and the least was Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium.

How about you guys?

I go to a few UT games a season. I have only sat in box seats recently (first two rows in certain upper deck sections) since I want my own seat and they're my favorite seats for the view. Games there are a lot of fun but I hope you don't mind getting to know your neighbor since most seats are bleachers and each space is not that big. Go to the Salute to the Hill (I think it's 90 minutes before the game), it's a fun experience.

Atmosphere will probably be great for the first half since it's a thursday night game and there's a ton of hype for the Vols going into this season. Probably won't be as good in the second half since it's App State and game will likely be over at that point. Agree with the recommendation to watch the band march in 90(?) minutes before kickoff and make sure you're at your seat for their pregame show to see the Vols run through the T.

Attended a ton of games in the Swamp during the Tebow years and after. Never heard a louder place in my life. Worlds Biggest Cocktail party is a ton of too.

Neyland is fun if you want to hear an abridged version of Rocky Top every 30 secs, be terrified of falling to your death anytime your walking down the stairs in the upper half of the stadium and enjoy being surrounded by 100K people who's greatest pleasure in life is drinking out of the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral.

GO APPY! Watching an overhyped Vols squad get quickly brought back down to earth is a pastime I greatly enjoy.

Clemson - Georgia prime time a couple of years ago in Death Valley was the best stadium experience I can recall. I saw Wake barely lose at UT in 1985 (I think). Sat in the upper deck around some very colorful Vol fans. They were not happy with UT's performance.

Seeing a game between the hedges at UGA in Athens is pretty up there as is the amount of tail wandering around before the game especially if an SEC opponent is in town.

A buddy of mine received 2 tickets to the 2014 Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa from his wife as a part of her wedding gift to him. Naturally, he took me to the game instead of his wife. We had to pick up the tickets at Will Call and figured we would be sitting in the nose bleeds since tickets to that game are so hard to come by. Turns out our seats were 3rd row behind Bama's bench on the 10 yard line next to the massive student section. Bama won 55-44 in a shootout where Auburn was in the game up until the last few drives. Never heard a stadium that loud and wild. Awesome experience hearing 100k fans sing Rammer Jammer.

BillBrasky said:

Neyland is fun if you want to hear an abridged version of Rocky Top every 30 secs, be terrified of falling to your death anytime your walking down the stairs in the upper half of the stadium and enjoy being surrounded by 100K people who's greatest pleasure in life is drinking out of the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral.

GO APPY! Watching an overhyped Vols squad get quickly brought back down to earth is a pastime I greatly enjoy.

Click to expand...

I thought it was called the "chocolate wonderfall?"

Dad went to pharmacy school at Auburn. Our family has season tickets. Last game I went to was the Kick Six game. May never have another experience like that in my life. As an Auburn fan it gets no better than beating Bama. Add in the way it happened and it was amazing.

Wallace Wade sucks. Beating Clemson in Death Valley was one of my best experiences as a student. Lot of white trash that were silent that day. UNC has a nice facility. They think they are an SEC school- but they have no idea what a real stadium experience consists of. ECU has a great fan experience- very rabid fans. But it's still a small stadium and they don't really play quality competition there much. NCSU has a middle of the road stadium. Nothing exceptional (though I haven't been in probably a decade)

I'm going to Ole Miss (UGa) and LSU (Ole Miss) this year. 1st trip to Oxford, 2nd to LSU (Bama '12). Looking forward to hanging in the Grove and then chill'n with the "Geaux Tiger" crowd. The best atmosphere I've ever been to was Texas A&M. We were there in '09 for the 10th anniversary of the bonfire tragedy. The Longhorns and their fans were very respectful to a rival. As for the ACC game experience, I'd go Clemson 1st, F$U 2nd. Duke and Miami tied for last.

deacondamo said:

Attended a ton of games in the Swamp during the Tebow years and after. Never heard a louder place in my life. Worlds Biggest Cocktail party is a ton of too.

Click to expand...

The girlfriend has been at UF's pharmacy school in Jacksonville, FL the past 3 years and we've made every Cocktail Party. Something that should be on every college football fan's bucket list.

ArsenalDeac said:

The girlfriend has been at UF's pharmacy school in Jacksonville, FL the past 3 years and we've made every Cocktail Party. Something that should be on every college football fan's bucket list.

Click to expand...

I have been 4 of the past 5 years and have tickets this year but it's the same weekend as my WFU 10 Year Reunion. We will see what ultimately happens.

I've been to the Iron Bowl and a couple of pretty great FSU-UF games.

I go to a few Alabama games each year, and saw them play @Tennessee last year. The stadium is louder than Alabama's, but I still haven't heard anything that compared to Clemson Riley's senior year. They were blowing us out, and I still couldn't hear myself think.

With that said, both Clemson and Alabama were much more enjoyable experiences, just because Neyland is SO packed. You will have to stand sideways to watch the game. I got very lucky in that the 2 people next to me left early, so the 2nd half wasn't that bad.

As for tailgating, we had a blast. The people next to us were extremely friendly. The students after the game, and getting out of there, not so much. Overall though, I had a blast and would definitely go again.

I've been to games at UGA, UF, Ole Miss and Alabama but everyone tells me that LSU night games are the best atmosphere.

UT will be unlike anything you have ever been to. I have been to maybe 50 games there from back in the 60's growing up in Tenn and having family all over East Tenn. Saw a game a year in the Manning days with my Dad, who is an undergrad & law school grad from back in the General Neyland days. Try to get there early enough to see the walk of the team with the band & cheerleaders thru the streets, then hit Cumberland Ave to see all the fans before the game [quite a sight in the fall with hot weather] and then get into the stadium in time before the game to see the team come out of the locker room into the "T". One of the best entrances in all of college football with Rocky Top blaring.

Other top stadiums I have been to are Clemson and the team coming down the hill with Howard's Rock, Virginia Tech is also Top 5, when we played out at Nebraska that was cool and great fans. And when I moved out to Columbia, MO in the mid to late 60's it was the Dan Devine era and Mizzou was Top 10 with great rivalries with Nebraska & Kansa of all teams and Faurot Field is a special place with a sea of Black & Gold on one side and all the Bob Devaney Nebraska Red on the other. SC Gamecocks and their 2001 song entrance is really special, especially when they had Lattimore, Clowney and Spurrier was in his three straight 11 win season run.

I'll definitely try to catch the team walk, Cumberland Ave, and the running through the T. My fiance has a class that morning so we should be arriving in Knoxville around 4:30. Hopefully the fans are tame towards another mountain school, even though I normally don't go into another schools venue completely decked out in apparel (keeps the bigger idiots at bay).

Demonwolverine said:

but I still haven't heard anything that compared to Clemson Riley's senior year. They were blowing us out, and I still couldn't hear myself think.

Click to expand...

I was at that same game, and it was by far the loudest place I've ever been, and IIRC it wasn't even full! Clemson's concessions sucked ass, though, it made me appreciate Wake's a lot more.

Best tailgate has consistently been NC State, the gravel parking lot where the frats set up is an excellent place to be on gamedays. I've heard from many people that area is up there with most SEC schools in stature. Made the mistake of getting a little too comfortable one year and had a bottle of Jack get poured out by Raleigh PD.

I've heard ECU's tailgate is pretty insane, I just can't seem to be able to voluntarily take a trip to Greenville for anything.

Neyland stadium is also a shit hole and I am surprised that the structural integrity holds with the fat as fuck mountain rednecks that pack the thing. Fun atmosphere though.

zqglass said:

I'll definitely try to catch the team walk, Cumberland Ave, and the running through the T. My fiance has a class that morning so we should be arriving in Knoxville around 4:30. Hopefully the fans are tame towards another mountain school, even though I normally don't go into another schools venue completely decked out in apparel (keeps the bigger idiots at bay).



I was at that same game, and it was by far the loudest place I've ever been, and IIRC it wasn't even full! Clemson's concessions sucked ass, though, it made me appreciate Wake's a lot more.

Best tailgate has consistently been NC State, the gravel parking lot where the frats set up is an excellent place to be on gamedays. I've heard from many people that area is up there with most SEC schools in stature. Made the mistake of getting a little too comfortable one year and had a bottle of Jack get poured out by Raleigh PD.

I've heard ECU's tailgate is pretty insane, I just can't seem to be able to voluntarily take a trip to Greenville for anything.

Click to expand...

Except for the typical student dbags that inhabit every stadium, UT fans are traditionally pretty hospitable (both mountain people & regular people). You won't have any issues, especially since you're not a Florida or Alabama fan.

Make sure you allow for considerable traffic problems- Cumberland Avenue is being "beautified" and is torn up as they are putting in new utilities- downtown is is a nightmare of closed streets for the same utilities work- adding to the usual mess.