4 locations where Tennessee Vols should consider playing 2022 spring game
The Tennessee Vols' 2022 spring game likely won't be played at Neyland Stadium. VolQuest reported on Friday that due to renovations taking place at Neyland during the offseason, the spring game will have to be moved. Tennessee will have to get an NCAA waiver to play the spring game off-campus. This isn't a slam dunk. […]
The Tennessee Vols' 2022 spring game likely won't be played at Neyland Stadium.
VolQuest reported on Friday that due to renovations taking place at Neyland during the offseason, the spring game will have to be moved.
Tennessee will have to get an NCAA waiver to play the spring game off-campus. This isn't a slam dunk. In early 2020, Arkansas requested a waiver to play their spring game in Little Rock. The waiver was denied.
The Vols' situation is a bit different, however, since the requested waiver would be due to construction/renovations. I would expect the waiver to be approved, but again, it's not a guarantee.
Here are a few off-campus options for the Vols' 2022 spring game.
1. Nissan Stadium — Nashville, TN
This is the most likely scenario. Playing in Nashville, which has a huge presence of Vol fans, would make a lot of sense. If Tennessee is going to compete for an SEC championship in the near future, they must own the Midstate area in recruiting.
Plus, the Vols getting more fans in Nashville for a spring game than Vanderbilt gets for a home game would make for a fun story.
2. Liberty Bowl — Memphis, TN
When it comes to recruiting, it might be smarter for the Vols to play in Memphis than it would be in Nashville. Tennessee is already the preferred college team in Nashville. In Memphis, however, the choice isn't quite as clear. Memphis is six hours from UT, but only 90 minutes from Ole Miss. Memphis is another extremely important recruiting area for the Volunteers. This would be a wise business decision, though it would be inconvenient for Vol fans in East Tennessee.
3. Bank of America Stadium — Charlotte, NC
The Carolinas are another area the Vols absolutely need to own in recruiting to get back to the top. When Tennessee was great in the late 90s/early 2000s, they had numerous key players from the Carolinas on their roster (Jay Graham, Leonard Little, Shawn Bryson, etc).
With Clemson struggling this season, it would be the perfect time for the Vols to invade the Carolinas once again. Charlotte is just over three hours away from Knoxville.
4. Finley Stadium — Chattanooga, TN
This probably wouldn't work — considering Finley Stadium only seats around 20,000 fans. But it would be an interesting location. The Chattanooga area and northwest Georgia is another area that's extremely important for Tennessee in recruiting. It's an area the Vols also need to "own" if they're going to get back to the "top" of the SEC East. This is the least likely scenario — though perhaps the Vols could get an additional waiver to hold an open practice/scrimmage in Chattanooga for fans. That would be a scenario that would make a lot of sense.
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