KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off an open week, No. 21/20/23 Tennessee returns to action for its penultimate home game of the season when it hosts New Mexico State on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at Neyland Stadium.
Saturday will serve as UT’s 101st Homecoming game. The Vols boast a 77-20-3 on-field record all-time for Homecoming.
The contest will also be Tennessee’s annual Salute to Service game. The Big Orange will honor all military branches and personnel throughout the game and wear their newest Smokey Grey series uniform, the “Volunteer Spirit”, which pays tribute to the United States Armed Forces.
GAMEDAY TIMELINE
Will Call Opens at Gate 21 – 12:15 p.m.
Truly’s Tailgate Opens – 12:15 p.m.
Vol Village Opens – 12:45 p.m.
Gates Open – 1:45 p.m.
Vol Walk – 2 p.m.
Pride of the Southland Band March – 2:35 p.m. (Map of Band March Route)
Pride of the Southland Band Pregame Performance Begins – 4:06 p.m.
National Anthem/Flyover – 4:09 p.m.
*Two F-35s out of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida
Vols Run Through the T – 4:17 p.m.
Kickoff – 4:20 p.m.
NEYLAND STADIUM, PRESERVED BY PILOT
Neyland Stadium has been home of the Vols for more than 100 years and that legacy will live on thanks to a transformative partnership with Tennessee Athletics and Knoxville-based Pilot, the largest network of travel centers in North America. In August 2024, Tennessee and Pilot announced the partnership that preserves the iconic venue’s name and enhances the stadium experience for future generations. Under the terms of the agreement, which is slated for up to 20 years and could extend further, the names of Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field will remain unchanged.
Neyland Stadium. Home of the Vols. Proudly preserved by Pilot.
IMPORTANT GAMEDAY INFO
Earlier this year, University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced updates for fans coming to Neyland Stadium in 2025.
To ease congestion, gates will now open for all fans two and a half hours before kickoff. Gate 20 will reopen to all fans, and students will continue to enter the stadium at the southeast corner at Gate 4. Students are encouraged to walk down Lake Loudoun Blvd. and turn left onto Phillip Fulmer Way at the Pat Summitt statue.
To adjust for additional congestion for fans entering the stadium, the Pride of the Southland Band’s march will begin on Pat Head Summitt Street at 2:35 p.m. The band will then take a left onto Volunteer Blvd. and proceed down the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway before entering Neyland Stadium at Gate 25. The salute to the hill will take place at the corner of Volunteer Blvd. and the entrance to the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Walkway.
For more information and the updated pregame policies, as well as suggested entry points based on seat locations, CLICK HERE.
For the most up-to-date information on all of Tennessee’s 2025 gameday policies, please visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com.
NEYLAND STADIUM FAN ENHANCEMENTS, UPDATES & INITIATIVES FOR 2025
Fans will notice a number of new features and amenities that have been completed for the 2025 season. Most notably, major updates have been completed in the South End Zone. Entry into Gate 9 has doubled in size while the southwest plaza has expanded to ease congestion. A new elevator has been added to the southeast corner of Neyland Stadium, allowing patrons to access all three levels on the south end of the stadium.
Fans will also notice new restrooms, a new UT Medical first aid station and a significantly wider concourse to help ease navigation around the south end of the stadium. A Vintage Volunteer trailer has been behind section M on the new south concourse of Neyland Stadium. The shop will offer vintage gear and unique items.
Beginning this fall, Neyland Stadium is now a cashless venue. Fans should be prepared as they approach concession stands, Vol Shop or any retail locations inside the stadium. All Tennessee venues will be cashless during the 2025-26 athletic year.
For more information on all updates and new initiatives in place at Neyland Stadium this season, click HERE.
TICKETS AND PARKING
Tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out. Tickets and parking passes to all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are now digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.
Fans will gain admission into Neyland Stadium via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!
Printed PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for entry at any Tennessee Athletics venue. The only authorized sources for tickets to Tennessee Athletics events are the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office, AllVols.com, the venue box office where the athletic event is taking place and Ticketmaster.
A complete step-by-step guide on how to best access and use your digital tickets and parking passes, including diagrams and FAQ is available here.
TENNESSEE ATHLETICS APP
Fans are encouraged to download the new and improved Tennessee Athletics App, which houses the GBO Zone, allowing fans to play trivia, take part in stadium light shows and much more.
Search “Tennessee Athletics” in the Apple or Google Play Store or use this LINK to download.
GAMEDAY EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
Homecoming: Saturday will mark Tennessee’s 101st Homecoming game in program history. The Vols have won 11 straight Homecoming contests against non-conference foes.
Former NASA astronaut and retired Captain of the United States Navy Butch Wilmore will serve as this year’s Homecoming Grand Marshall and be recognized during a first-quarter media timeout. Homecoming awards will take place on the field following the Pride of the Southland Band’s halftime performance.
Vol Village Presented by Toyota: Vol Village presented by Toyota, serves as the ideal spot to view the Vol Walk and the Pride of Southland Band march. Admission is free to all fans with or without a game ticket. Located across from Circle Park, Vol Village features live music, food trucks and beverage stations, interactive displays and fun activities for all ages.
Vol Village will highlight a new artist or band each home game with a pregame concert series, providing Vol fans with the ultimate pregame atmosphere. This week’s featured artist is the duo September Song. Vol Village opens at 12:45 p.m. for Saturday’s game.
Truly’s Tailgate: Located outside Gate 9, fans are encouraged to visit the new and improved Truly’s area for food, drinks and more! Truly’s Tailgate has expanded with Texas Roadhouse and a number of other new food and beverage options for fans to enjoy before and during the game.
Fans may enter Truly’s prior to gates opening without having a ticket scanned. When gates open, fans will need to scan their ticket to enter Truly’s.
For any game starting later than noon ET, Truly’s will open four hours prior to kickoff. For Saturday’s game, the tailgate will open at 12:15 p.m. Truly’s will stay open throughout the game, giving fans in the south concourse a variety of food, drinks and additional restroom options. Truly’s will close at the end of the third quarter.
For complete gameday information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.
BROADCAST INFO
TV Info
Dave Neal (PxP), Fozzy Whittaker (analyst) and Morgan Uber (sideline reporter) will have the call for Saturday’s game at 4:15 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Radio Info
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast via the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) on 70 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 106 or 190) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 960). A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App. Voice of the Vols Mike Keith will be joined in the booth by VFL Ramon Foster (analyst) while Brent Hubbs will handle sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast.
The Big Orange Countdown pregame show, hosted by Hubbs, begins two hours prior to kickoff at 2:15 p.m. VFL Jayson Swain also returns as part of the official gameday radio team this season and will be a part of the network’s pregame, halftime and postgame programming.
Tennessee’s official Spanish radio broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and J.P. Vasquez (analyst) on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Volunteer Gameday, a live, one-hour television preview show, will originate live from Neyland Stadium beginning at 2:15 p.m. The show will be hosted by Keith, VFL Heath Shuler and WVLT-Knoxville’s Brittany Tarwater. Volunteer Gameday will be available on Knoxville flagship TV station WVLT and across the state on the new Tennessee Valley Sports Network (TVSN).
NEED TO KNOW
UT to Debut New “Volunteer Spirit” Smokey Grey Uniforms
Tying into Saturday’s Salute to Service theme, the Vols will don their new “Volunteer Spirit” Smokey Grey uniforms. Tennessee’s defining pillar of service and selfless leadership for more than 200 years, the “Volunteer Spirit” provides the inspiration behind the newest Nike Smokey Grey series football uniform that will honor the United States Armed Forces.
Learn about all the details regarding the “Volunteer Spirit” Smokey Grey uniforms by clicking HERE.
Vols Look to Extend Non-Conference Win Streak
Tennessee puts its non-conference regular season winning streak on the line this Saturday, having won 17 non-SEC regular season games in a row. The current streak dates back to a Sept. 18, 2021, a 56-0 victory versus Tennessee Tech. The Vols’ last non-conference regular season loss was to Pitt on Sept. 11, 2021, in what was Josh Heupel‘s second game at UT.
Aguilar Having Season to Remember
Tennessee’s passing game has been lethal all year long thanks in large part to senior signal caller Joey Aguilar, who ranks in the top 10 nationally in five different categories, including total offense (sixth – 313.6), passing touchdowns (ninth – 21), passing yards per game (fourth – 304.1), passing yards per completion (eighth – 14.04) and passing yards (sixth – 2,737). Aguilar leads the SEC in passing touchdowns, passing yards, passing yards per game, passing yards per completion, and he’s second in total offense and passing efficiency (161.0).
In conference play, Aguilar boasts a league-best 330.7 yards per game passing, and has fired 13 touchdowns in those contests, which is tied with Georgia’s Gunner Stockton for first in the SEC. The California native is the only player in league-only games averaging over 300 yards passing. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is second at 266.5. Aguilar’s 337.3 yards of total offense per game in conference play also ranks No. 1 among SEC players.
Aguilar has passed for more than 390 yards in each of his last two games (at Kentucky, vs. Oklahoma) and has produced four 300-yard passing games this season, which is tied for third in school history and are the most by a Vol in a single-season since Hendon Hooker had four in 2022.
Staley Stealing the Show
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Braylon Staley is having a breakout season in his second year with the program and has been recognized as one of the top freshmen in the nation. Staley was recently named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award and added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The South Carolina native ranks second among FBS freshmen with 52 catches and leads all FBS freshmen in receiving yards with 703. He is second among FBS freshmen and first among Power Four freshmen in touchdown catches with five, as well. Staley’s playmaking skills have been on display all season as 330 of his 703 receiving yards have come after the catch.
SERIES HISTORY
First Meeting
The Vols and Aggies will square off for the first time when the two sides take the field on Saturday afternoon. This is just the third time that Tennessee has faced an opponent from the state of New Mexico. The Vols played the New Mexico Lobos in Neyland Stadium in 1983 and 1986, winning both contests.
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
After getting off to a 3-2 start to the season, the Aggies have dropped four straight entering this weekend’s contest against the Volunteers. They are led by second-year head coach Tony Sanchez.
New Mexico State relies heavily on its passing game and senior quarterback Logan Fife, who has passed for 2,072 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, but has also thrown 11 interceptions. Junior wideout Donovan Faupel is Fife’s top target with a team-best 43 receptions for 503 yards and five touchdowns. Cal transfer running back Kadarius Calloway leads the Aggies rushing attack with 86 carries for 313 yards and three scores.
Redshirt sophomore safety Naeten Mitchell leads NMSU on the defensive side of the ball with 70 total tackles, four pass breakups, three interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles. Fresno State transfer defensive lineman Ezra Christensen has been a disruptive force, as well, with a team-leading nine tackles for loss and six sacks on the year.
