Neyland Stadium

Neyland Stadium has been the home of the Tennessee Volunteers since 1921. It opened as Shields–Watkins Field, commissioned by Colonel W.S. Shields, before being renamed in 1962 to honour General Robert Neyland. The pitch retains the original name. It has seen the capacity grow from 3,200 in the early years to over 100,000 today, passing through several major expansions and modifications along the way.

The ground has hosted events well beyond college football. A Billy Graham Crusade in May 1970 brought U.S. President Richard Nixon as a guest speaker, an occasion that stirred controversy during the anti-war movement. Country music stars have drawn large crowds, with Morgan Wallen breaking a concert record in September 2024. The stadium also welcomed international soccer matches and NFL exhibition games over the decades.

Some of the older features remain visible today. Brick arches and stone pillars at ground level contrast with the modern steel framework above. The mix of old and new construction reflects the stadium’s long history of additions rather than complete rebuilds.

Visitors walking past the structure notice the scale of the upper tiers rising above the original brickwork.