A Must-Have Football Experience
Written: Apr 25 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Aesthetics: |
 |
|
| Food Selection: |
 |
|
|
Pros: VERY loud, lovely setting by river
Cons: Not the largest in the country (for now), scalper prices
The Bottom Line: A college football experience full of tradition and excitement. This stadium will blow you away.
|
|
|
| becktuck's Full Review: Neyland Stadium |
On football Saturdays, Neyland Stadium becomes the third largest "city" in Tennessee. It's packed to the brim with fans decked out in orange and white and yelling at the top of their lungs. Once you see the "Pride of the Southland" marching band form the giant Power T in the middle of the field and watch the players rush through, you'll know it's truly "Football Time in Tennessee."
Parking has never been a problem for me. Unless you have a problem walking more than a few blocks, it won't for you either. I recommend finding a spot several hours before gametime, however, because traffic (both auto and pedestrian) gets very heavy. Besides, tailgating or grabbing a bite and/or drink in one of the many dining establishments is an integral part of the gameday experience. Chat about the upcoming game, walk around campus, mingle with tailgaters -- most people are friendly and helpful. And don't miss the VolWalk -- the pre-game players' procession to the stadium.
The stadium itself is awe-inspiring. If you want to stand and cheer for the entire game, squeeze into the student section (recommended only if you can handle drunken coeds -- but can be fun). The "alumni section" is across the field -- fans yell and cheer, but are definitely more sedate. The new section is a great mix -- and the seats have backs! And then you've got the upper deck nosebleeds -- a mix of those non-alumni types and students. You can make a lot of
noise up here, but this is typically the first section to desert of it looks like the Vols may not win.
Neyland Stadium is in a great location overlooking the river. And no matter where you sit (I've sampled all but the skyboxes *sigh*), you'll have a great view. Another added bonus is the new jumbotron -- one of the largest in the nation.
Just getting in can be a problem however. I don't have season tickets, so if I can't track down extras beforehand I have to rely on the kindness of scalpers. Prices vary depending on the game, but will typically become extremely reasonable if you can wait until after kick-off. And though I've never tried it, I'm told that anyone can enter the stadium after half-time as well.
After the game, traffic is intense. I recommend pulling out the tailgate leftovers (or hitting one of those dining establishments) and mulling over game highlights for an hour or two...it's definitely better than being stuck in a crowded car, and it's fun.
Recommended:
Yes
Parking Availability: Busy But Manageable
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
becktuck
|
|
Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.