Tennessee football will have fans in attendance but at a reduced capacity.
As long as you wear a mask, you have a shot at attending Tennessee football games this season.
Per the Associated Press, “Tennessee football will be selling tickets for approximately 25% of the fan seats at Neyland Stadium this season, officials announced Tuesday. The stadium has a capacity of 102,455, counting everybody in the building, which means around 25,000 fans.” Tennessee has five home games, including its home opener vs. the Missouri Tigers on Oct. 3.
With 25 percent capacity, how will this impact Tennessee football games?
Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer empathized with Vols fans .”These circumstances are beyond our control, and we understand the importance of playing our part to keep our community healthy…For those who will be with us in the stadium this season, please know that we are committed to creating the safest possible environment in and around Neyland Stadium.”
Even though it’s only 25 percent capacity, that’s still 25,000 fans in attendance at Tennessee football games. Neyland Stadium is the fifth-largest college football stadium in the world. What’s weird is three of the largest in Beaver Stadium (Penn State Nittany Lions), Michigan Stadium (Michigan Wolverines) and Ohio Stadium (Ohio State Buckeyes) won’t see any games played.
As for if having 25,000 or so fans in attendance at Neyland will help the Vols this fall, let’s take a look at their 2020 home slate and see what Tennessee is up against. Is there a game where the home crowd has to be extra rowdy to give Jeremy Pruitt’s a team at an upset? How will 25 percent of capacity crowds affect the football team?
Tennessee football 2020 home games
- Missouri Tigers (Oct. 3)
- Kentucky Wildcats (Oct. 17)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct. 24)
- Texas A&M Aggies (Nov. 14)
- Florida Gators (Dec. 5)
The only gimme home game on the Vols’ schedule is their home opener against Eliah Drinkwitz’s Missouri program. It’s his first year in Columbia and he’s not coaching the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Sun Belt anymore. The SEC is a huge step up and his team will experience some major growing pains this fall in a 10-game, conference-only slate.
After that, Tennessee must beat the rival Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 17. A loss to Big Blue would ensure the Vols of a certain fourth-place finish in the divisional race. As for the other three home games, Tennessee won’t be expected to be favored but has a shot at an upset in all three of them: Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct. 24), Texas A&M Aggies (Nov. 14) and the Florida Gators (Dec. 5).
Texas A&M is the most likely upset, followed by Florida and then Alabama. The Aggies haven’t proven to us they can beat anybody good in a few years. As a home dog with 25,000 fans scattered throughout Neyland, Tennessee has a real shot in this game. Alabama would have to play terribly to lose, while Florida could be stunned on the road in the final game of the season.
Will a reduced capacity crowd impact Tennessee positively or negatively? It hurts the Vols’ chances against Alabama and Florida. It has no impact whatsoever vs. Missouri because they’re winning anyway. However, it may be a boost with the Kentucky game and maybe even the Texas A&M game. Fewer fans takes the pressure off the UK game, while weirdness aids the Vols over the Aggies.
Maybe you’ll be a lucky one and be able to attend Tennessee football games this season?
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