Jason Isbell — Hotels & Tickets
Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN · Saturday, July 18, 2026 · 12:00 AM
Every booking gives back to your school
Join FanPlans free, designate your school, and book this trip — a portion of every booking goes back to your college. Book anything, any genre, anywhere — a concert, a golf trip, a football weekend — and your school still earns. You keep your hotel loyalty points.
Make it a weekend in Knoxville
Local, game-day tested — near Neyland Stadium.
Eat before
- Sunspot· Cumberland Ave (The Strip), ~0.5 mi from the stadium, on campus
This little Strip institution is where locals swear by the black bean nachos and sweet-potato fries — get there early because on gameday the whole campus funnels down Cumberland.
- Calhoun's on the River· 400 Neyland Drive, riverside, a short walk from the stadium
Grab the barbecue ribs on the deck and you'll be looking straight out at the Vol Navy bobbing on the Tennessee River — there's even a dock where boats moor up, and it doesn't get more Knoxville than that.
- The Tomato Head· Market Square, ~1 mi east (walkable via the greenway)
A true Knoxville original — build-your-own pizzas and killer sandwiches, and Market Square stays calmer than the Strip so you can actually get a table before kickoff.
After the game
- Preservation Pub· Market Square, ~1 mi from the stadium
Three floors of live music and a rooftop crowned with plastic flamingos — this is where the Market Square celebration lands whether the Vols won or lost.
- STIR· Old City (215 Willow Ave), ~1.2 mi from the stadium
Post-game, diehards decompress over fresh oysters and craft cocktails made with house-cut artisanal ice in the heart of the Old City.
- Yassin's Falafel House· Downtown (706 Walnut St), ~1 mi from the stadium
Voted 'the nicest place in America' and every bit as good as it sounds — the falafel and shawarma are the perfect cheap, feel-good end to a long day of orange (during construction the downtown spot is running out of Marble City Food Hall).
Getting in
- Park downtown, walk the greenway· Downtown garages, 15-20 min walk to the gates
Skip the $60 homemade lawn-parking signs near campus — snag a cheap downtown garage (State Street is free on weekends) and take the scenic riverside greenway walk, or grab the $10 KAT Gameday Shuttle from Market Square.
- Gates open two hours before kickoff· All Neyland gates
Gates open about two hours out (they've opened even earlier on some 2025 dates), but plan to be at yours at least 45 minutes before kickoff so you're inside for the Vol Walk and Pride of the Southland band pregame.
- G10 Garage & Circle Park tailgates· Between Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena
The top deck of the G10 garage is the rowdiest tailgate in town with East Tennessee views, while Circle Park is the classic tent-and-TV scene where you can snap a photo with Smokey.
Don't miss
- The Vol Navy· Tennessee River, along the stadium's edge
Only in Knoxville do 200-plus boats raft up on the river for a floating tailgate — even rival fans admit it's one of the most spectacular arrivals in college football, so wander the docks before you head in.
- Pat Summitt Plaza & Women's Basketball Hall of Fame· Plaza on campus by Thompson-Boling Arena; Hall of Fame downtown on the riverfront
Pay respects at the campus plaza and statue honoring the legendary Lady Vols coach, then head to the downtown riverfront to visit the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame — both exist largely because of what Pat built here.