Everything You Need To Know About Neyland Stadium Parking For A University Of Tennessee Football Game – The Free, The Not Too Bad, And The Outrageously Expensive Parking Spots
You will find tons of options for parking for Neyland Stadium on a Volunteer home football game Saturday and they all work pretty similarly — the closer to the stadium, the more you pay out the wazoo.
Like everything else in Knoxville, the regular rules go out the window on Gameday. People living near the stadium will sell spots in their yard for $50. Parking garages that are usually $7 all day are now $40.
But Knoxville does maintain some free options not too far from UT’s campus if you know where to find them.
As a born and raised Knoxvillian as well as a UT grad (I come by my orange blood honestly), and being more interested in spending my money on other things besides parking, I know where all the good free and cheap spots are.
I will list all of my go-to parking spots, whether you want to park in downtown Knoxville or near campus (such as the Strip or in the Fort Sanders neighborhood).
All you need to know about Gameday shuttle buses, how to walk to Neyland Stadium from our favorite parking spots, RV parking, where to eat nearby, and what sights to check out pre-game – it’s all here, people!
I even have maps! Everything you wanted to know about parking for Neyland Stadium.
Parking is so easy, you don’t even have to go to the game to enjoy a UT Football Gameday. We often go just to enjoy the pre-game festivities and then drive home to watch the game.
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Key Takeaways
There are NO public parking lots on campus anymore, free or paid! UT reserves all of its parking spots on campus for season ticket holders with parking passes or for people working at the stadium.
Free Parking For Neyland Stadium Is In Downtown Knoxville
- 2 parking garages – Market Square and State Street Garages
- 2 flat lots in the Old City – Old City Lot South and Old City Lot North
Best Paid Public Parking Spots
- The Locust Street Garage is not far from the stadium, costs $30, and is a popular choice.
- The garages at the Civic Coliseum cost $25 and have a Gameday Football Shuttle bus stop.
Walking to the stadium from downtown is fairly easy. It’s about 1-1.5 miles but there is also a pay-to-ride Gameday Football Shuttle from two places downtown.
You can use a rideshare like Uber but you HAVE TO USE the appointed pickup/drop-off point as you can’t get close to the stadium or campus in general. It can take a while for pick-up too unless you leave early.
Detailed info about all of these options are covered below.
Don’t let parking stop you from spending a really fun Saturday in downtown Knoxville. You don’t even have to go to the game to enjoy it as there is so much to see and do before the game even starts.
Between the Farmer’s Market in Market Square and all the free festivities on campus, a Volunteer Gameday is always one of my favorite days of the year and the kids love it.
I’ll share what our family typically does so you can decide what will work best for yours.
See our blog “Things To Do With the Family On Game Day In Knoxville” for all the super fun activities you can do with kids on campus. It is not all beer drinking and tailgating, although that is certainly a popular option.
Free Parking For Neyland Stadium In Downtown Knoxville
The city of Knoxville has 2 downtown garages and 2 flat lots in the Old City that are free on Game Day.
Most of downtown is within walking distance of campus – Gay St is a little over a mile away from Neyland Stadium and the Old City is about 1.5 miles away.
The Free Downtown Parking Garages Are The Best Parking For University of Tennessee Football Games
The Market Square Parking Garage and the State Street Garage are both located in downtown Knoxville. On a normal day, all of the city-run garages are free all day on weekends and if you enter after 6pm on weekdays, but as with everything in Knoxville, football changes things.
The Market Square and State Street garages are the only ones that stay free even on a Volunteer football Gameday, whereas the other city garages convert to paid parking.
For instance, the Langley Garage and Locust Street Garage are not free on GameDay ($30) even though it generally follows the other city garage’s free parking policies on weekends and after 6:00pm on weekdays.
The State Street Garage is my parking lot of choice for University of Tennessee football parking. Why? Because it is convenient to the interstate and to downtown. Plus, you can hang out downtown before the game AND afterwards while the traffic clears.
Arriving 3-4 hours before kick-off, I haven’t had a problem finding parking in the State Street Garage, whereas the Market Square Garage tends to fill up faster because it is smaller.
Plus, it is easier to exit from the State Street Garage onto a major road so that’s why I like it better.
We like to arrive early on a football Saturday and either explore the Farmer’s Market or have breakfast or lunch at one of the many restaurants on Gay Street and Market Square.
After the game, we like to have a meal or maybe an ice cream treat at Cruz Farm Dairy while waiting for traffic to clear.
From the State Street Garage, it is a 1.1 mile walk to Neyland Stadium and takes 20-30 minutes depending on how speedy your kids are. The Market Square Garage is minimally closer at 1 mile.
From downtown, we like to walk over to the Sunsphere at World’s Fair Park and then get on the Second Creek Greenway to the stadium. There is also a kids playground across from the Museum of Art which is also by Worlds Fair Park. See the map below.
There is a Gameday Football shuttle service to the stadium from Krutch Park, located adjacent to Market Square, if you don’t want to walk.
It is run by KAT, the public transit service in Knoxville. The $10 wristband (cash only!) includes a return trip after the game. There are more details about the different shuttle routes and when they run at the end of this blog.
If you are thinking of getting a hotel or vacation rental for the weekend and skip the driving all together — you should! The Hyatt Place and Embassy Suites on Gay St are top choices.
This is my list of favorite places that we stay in or recommend to friends and family – A Local’s Opinion Of The Best Places To Stay Near Neyland Stadium Or Thompson- Boling Arena In Knoxville.
The Free Flat Lots In The Old City Are My Second Choice For Parking For Neyland Stadium
There are two lots under the James White Parkway in the Old City that are free 24/ 7, even on Game Day.
They are oh-so-creatively called Old City Lot North and Old City Lot South. These lots are located in an underpass but they are well lit and pretty open. I park there for dinner in the Old City all the time.
The Old City Lots are a nice parking option if you want to eat in this part of town before or after the game. Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria is always a hit with the kids for their great pizza but we also like Good Golly Tamale and Fin Two Japanese Ale House.
See our favorite places to eat in downtown Knoxville here.
It is a 1.5 mile walk to the stadium from the Old City Lot North and Old City Lot South and will take you 30-45 minutes depending on your kids walking ability.
Moderately Priced Public Parking For Neyland Stadium
City-run Parking Garages
The city has a handy list of what it charges for all its parking garages and flat lots on a Volunteer Gameday.
Main Street Parking Garage, Locust Street Garage, and the City County Building Garage are city-run parking garages that are all decently close to Neyland Stadium so they would be my first choices. They cost $30 for parking on Game Day.
Civic Coliseum Park & Ride
The parking garage for the Civic Coliseum offers a $25 all-included, park and ride option with a round-trip shuttle to Neyland Stadium. Credit cards only for the fee.
You can also park on the top-deck of the Civic Coliseum for $10. It is a bit farther of a walk to the stadium (about 1.5 miles), but you can ride the Gameday Football Shuttles from there.
If you are bringing a party bus to the game, this is probably your best bet for parking and they will charge $40 for that. (I have friends that do that when coming in from Nashville – get a group together and split the cost.)
Metered Street Parking Spots in Fort Sanders
The metered parking spots in the Fort Sanders neighborhood located adjacent to UT’s campus cost $40 for all day parking. Credit Card payment at meter.
See the map of metered spots for detailed locations but it is basically White Avenue, Lake Avenue, and parts of 13th, 16th, 18th, and 19th streets.
You will need to go early and be prepared to cruise around a little bit to find an open spot.
The Fort is fun but can also be a little loud and obnoxious for walking around with little kids (it is full of college kids drinking beer on their porches and sometimes shouting NSFW cheers).
Children’s Hospital in Fort Sanders
The hospital raises money by selling its parking places so at least this way you know your money is going to a good cause. It is located in the middle of the Fort Sanders neighborhood adjacent to The Strip.
The hospital has several parking options at various prices ($15-40) and all are about a mile from the stadium so close enough to walk. See their website for map and prices of their lots.
RV Parking For UT Football Games At Neyland Stadium
There is only one place within walking distance of the stadium that I know for the 2025 season if you don’t have a season parking pass for one of the special RV lots on UT’s campus.
The Blackstock Lot has RV parking for Neyland Stadium.
Located off of Blackstock Ave, the Blackstock Lot is a city- owned flat lot that is generally free to park in except on home football game Saturdays. Then it is $30 for a car and $60 per day for an RV.
You can walk to Neyland Stadium through the Worlds Fair Park from the Blackstock parking lot. It is about 1.5 miles and it is an easy walk and pretty flat – a rarity in Knoxville.
This isn’t my favorite parking lot as it is located under a bunch of overpasses in a non-commercial part of town – meaning there is no one around at night but it still has a ton of road noise. Also there can be a homeless problem.
Honestly, I did not even know this was an option for RV parking so I will have to see if it looks different on a football weekend. I do not know anyone that has parked an RV here. Since the Civic Coliseum closed its lot to RVs though, there are more people using the Blackstock Lot.
Outrageously Expensive Options ($40 and up) For University Of Tennessee Football Parking
(These options are all marked on the previous map.)
Poplar Street Parking Lot
The city-run Poplar Street Lot located at 906 Poplar St, behind Church Street Methodist, costs $50 and is pretty popular so get there early.
It is just a hop, skip, and a jump on the Second Creek Greenway over to the stadium. But the Main Street Garage is only $30 and is just 2 blocks away so I don’t ever park at the Poplar garage.
University Commons
The parking garage and top lot at University Commons (the shopping center with Publix and Fieldhouse Social) charges $40 on Gameday.
Not sure why this is so expensive as it is still a mile to the stadium from here but you can tailgate and even pick up all your tailgating supplies at the handy Publix right there. I guess there is a lot to be said for bathroom facilities onsite too.
Private Parking in Fort Sanders and Along Cumberland Avenue
Suddenly everyone with a yard near the stadium becomes a budding entrepreneur on GameDay. People and small businesses around the Fort Sanders neighborhood (aka “The Fort”) and some on Cumberland Ave (aka “The Strip”) will sell parking spots for around $50. You can sometimes get this cheaper if you are willing to be blocked in.
Unless you really want to be on The Strip or in The Fort, this would be one of my last resorts. Traffic in these areas can be brutal and there are better and cheaper options.
*There is major construction going on The Strip with a student housing company buying up several blocks of businesses and tearing everything down in order to build new 5 story buildings. So the few parking spots along The Strip just got decidedly fewer this year. And your eating and drinking options also declined.
Last But Not Least Option For Parking For A Football Game At Neyland Stadium – Just Get A GameDay Parking Permit From UT
Simply donate thousands of dollars to UT to get on the waiting list for season tickets, then buy said tickets and parking passes for even more money and receive a convenient spot on campus.
Then pack up the car with all the tailgating stuff and get to campus at least 4 hours before kick-off and be prepared to wait several hours after the game ends before you get home. Easy peasy, right?
The benefit to a parking permit being everyone always comes to see you and a whole lot less walking is needed. So each to their own.
Gameday Shuttles And Buses To Neyland Stadium
Knoxville’s public transit, KAT, runs a Football Shuttle service using the downtown trolley buses along 2 routes in downtown Knoxville.
- Market Square/Krutch Park– the best option for the free parking garages downtown (State Street and Market Square)
- Civic Coliseum– the best option for the Civic Coliseum parking garage
Cost is $10 (including return). Purchase through KAT’s new Transit app on your phone (the link to download the app is on KAT’s website).
You could potentially walk to the game and take the shuttle back to your car afterwards but I will tell you that the lines can get long waiting for the shuttle at the pick-up point near Neyland Stadium after the game.
Shuttles start running 3 hours before kick-off. Return service from the game starts in the 4th quarter and goes until an hour after the game ends.
Shuttle drop-off/pick- up is on Middle Drive in front of the Walters Life Sciences Building (near the corner of Philip Fulmer Way and Cumberland Avenue).
While I love riding public transportation normally, I haven’t used the shuttles for Gameday because a family of 4 costs $40. So we just walk.
But this could be a worthwhile investment if you have really little kids or non-walkers in the group but you still want to park downtown in order to take advantage of the Farmer’s Market or the amazing restaurants before the game.
KAT Gameday Bus Routes To Neyland Stadium
KAT has 5 set bus routes specifically for Game Day that either go directly along Cumberland Avenue near the stadium or connect to a route that does. It costs $2 for a day pass for adults and $1 kids.
Gameday bus passes are cash only and you buy the pass on the bus.
Buses run every 30 minutes from 7 am until 1115 pm (915 pm for the Central St route). This is a great option if you want to park, say at West Town Mall, and then take the bus the rest of the way. See the website for route details.
Rideshares To Neyland Stadium
The number one rule here is be patient and don’t try to get a pickup anywhere near the stadium after the game outside the appointed area.
You might as well bring your sleeping bag and spend the night if you try to get a pickup right by the stadium because your driver will never make it.
I once walked almost all the way back to Sequoyah Hills to retrieve a car because we couldn’t get a pickup on campus and we had a sprained ankle in the group. Good times!
THIS IS IMPORTANT! The rideshare pick-up/drop- off point is on Circle Drive up on “The Hill” (near Ayres Hall if you are unfamiliar with “The Hill” – you will see why it is called that when you hike up it :).
The cops will not be happy with you if you try to stop and get out of your Uber anywhere else on a major campus thoroughfare.
See UT Parking’s website for more information and a map detailing the rideshare protocols.
*Pro Tip- I would check UT’s website before your game if you are planning on using a rideshare as it is very possible the pickup/drop-off points will change throughout the season. For instance, if Gameday decides to come visit, that usually happens on “The Hill” so the rideshares will have to go somewhere else.
What We Do On Gameday With The Family (It’s a Easy 6 Step Program)
- Park in the free State Street Garage.
- Eat in downtown Knoxville and/or explore the Farmer’s Market.
- Walk to Neyland Stadium.
- Watch the Vols win (of course). *Although sometimes we just walk to the stadium and watch all the pre-game festivities, then walk back downtown to watch the game at a restaurant.
- Walk back to downtown and have dinner or ice cream while waiting for traffic to clear.
- Drive home tired and happy after an excellent day.
Step 1 – We park in the State Street Garage. Second choice is the Market Square Garage or the free Old City Lots.
Step 2 – Eat in downtown Knoxville. We usually take an hour to explore the Farmer’s Market before the game, stocking up on produce and homemade goodies that we store in the car before heading to the game.
If we don’t grab food at the Farmer’s Market, then we enjoy brunch/lunch at one of the awesome restaurants in downtown Knoxville like Tupelo Honey or Tomato Head on Market Square or the Downtown Grille and Brewery on Gay Street.
If we parked in the Old City, we eat at one of the great places in the Old City before heading to the game.
Step 3 – We walk to Neyland Stadium. The kids enjoy the walk to the game through downtown and the Worlds Fair Park and we take our time.
We generally like to get to campus about 2-3 hours before kick-off to enjoy the pregame festivities, especially seeing the boats in the Vol Navy and watching the UT band’s march through campus.
Step 4 – Watch the Vols win. This is a given since I am the one writing this blog so it’s my rules. Vols win, always.
Step 5 – Walk back to downtown Knoxville. After the game, the walk back is fun as well, especially if we win and the crowd sings “Rocky Top” the whole time, plus it is a good time killer while waiting for traffic to clear.
We often have snacks, ice cream, or drinks in a restaurant downtown after the game as well. I would rather sit in a restaurant than sit in my car staring at the car in front of me anyway.
Step 6 – Drive home. By the time we get in the car about 2 hours after the game is over, traffic is mostly gone and we breeze right on home with full bellies and tired but happy kiddos.
For more on how we do Game Day, check out our blog “Game Day In Knoxville- A Local’s Survival Guide.”
If you want a list of our favorite hotels and VRBOs so you can make your trip to Knoxville last a little longer, then check out A Local’s Opinion Of The Best Places To Stay Near Neyland Stadium Or Thompson- Boling Arena In Knoxville.
In closing, don’t let the thought of trying to find parking deter you from taking the family downtown on Game Day! There are lots of free and inexpensive options out there for you.
All you need is your walking shoes and you and the kiddos will have a great time exploring all the fun that can be found downtown and on campus. Happy Trails and Go Vols!- Amanda
Thank you for pulling together such a great informational piece for those of us coming in from out of town!
So glad it was helpful. I hope you had a great time at the game!
Thanks for the great parking advice! Made game day less stressful for our first time at Neyland.
I’m so glad you found it helpful. It really is better to park downtown than to deal with the traffic trying to leave campus. I hope you had a great time at the game!
Thanks for the great information. We travel to one away game every year and this year we decided on Tennessee. We had so much fun and the people were so nice, the information you provided was spot on. We parked at State Street Garage, went to the farmers market, grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant there and headed to the stadium. One of our friends had a parking pass on campus and text that he was stuck in traffic to get out 20 minutes after we had gotten to our Airbnb. Thanks again for the great information and to all Vol nation for being such great fans.
I am so glad you had a great time in Knoxville. Wish the game had gone better for us 🙁 but it makes me happy to know that Vol fans were lovely to you. It really is a great college football town. I was also at the Farmer’s Market before the game so maybe we passed each other! I hope you come back someday and please let me know if you have any other questions. Go Vols!- Amanda
Hi. Is there anything different for Thompson concerts? I went last year and got to park west of the stadium on campus in an open lot where they had a shuttle to the event. All free. Is that still an organized setup for tonight? How about Neyland garage along the river? Are the usual parking garages free or are they event pay like game day?
Hi Will. Yes, for a big concert at Thompson- Boling Arena they will have shuttles from the Ag Campus which is located west of the arena. I believe it is $10 park and ride for those lots. The parking garages along the river and most everywhere else on campus are usually $20 (card only). The only free places to park are the G12 and G17 garages on White Ave and Terrence Ave respectively and they are a 10-15 min walk to the arena. I wrote a blog about parking for Thompson- Boling Arena specifically you can also check out. A Local’s Advice About The Best Parking For Thompson-Boling Arena At Food City Center I hope this helps! – Amanda
Four of us are going to our first UT game next Saturday Nov. 23rd. We plan on parking in the State Garage then taking the shuttle near Krutch Park. Any recommendations for bloody marys before the 1:00 game that would be near our parking lot or Krutch Park? TIA
Hi Sue! Sorry for the delay, I was quizzing some friends on the Best Bloody Mary in downtown as not a huge fan myself.
I would do Bistro at the Bijou- bit of a local only spot since it is a little down Gay Street from Market Square so most tourists miss it. But it has been voted Best Bloody Mary for years as well as best brunch. It is still easy walking distance to State Street Garage and Krutch Park.
Other places I would try are Tupelo Honey (on Market Square, has regular and two kinds of spicy Bloody Mary) and Not Watson’s (has $4 Bloody Marys on Sat and Sun during brunch, also on Market Square). Those places all open at 10am I believe so if you want to get started earlier, try Frothy Monkey on Gay St which has a true breakfast so it opens at 7am (it has a full bar and does Bloody Marys as well as mimosa carafes.)
I hope that helps and you have a great time in Knoxville! Please reach out if you have anymore questions- Amanda
Thank you for all of the great information about Knoxville!
My first game in a few years, so excited to be there!
Go Vols!!!🧡🧡🧡
It’s going to be great! The atmosphere is so electric this year. Feel free to email us with any questions and I hope you have an amazing time. Go Vols!
This is our first time going. We would like to tailgate but unsure where. I have read about the permit so we would be in the “general” area. Where is a good place to park and tailgate? Also, where/time does the players/band walk through at? As you see, we are at basic level questions right now, lol.
Hi Michael, no worries about the questions even locals get confused as everything seems to change from year to year. I am not sure what you mean about a permit for general area? All of the parking on the campus is reserved for season ticket holders so there is no paid public parking except for very few metered spots along Volunteer Blvd near the intersection with Cumberland Ave. It is not a great place to tailgate and you would need to be there many hours before the game to Ave a chance at a spot. If you really want to tailgate, I would look on Stubhub or something similar to buy a parking pass from a season ticket holder. Use this link to find out where a garage or parking lot is on campus from its Stubhub listing.
I generally park downtown to enjoy the festivities on Market Square which will have a very gameday atmosphere as well as the fun Farmer’s Market. Then I take a couple of beers and maybe a sandwich from the Farmer’s Market if I didn’t eat at a restaurant in downtown and I walk to the Vol Village by the stadium to hang out a the tables there and enjoy the festivities.
The Vol Walk generally takes place about 2 hrs 15 min before the game and the band marches to the stadium about 1 hr 40 min before the game. But you need to find your spot along the road at least 30- 45 min before that if you want a good view. The Vol Walk in particular gets crowded because it is a short walk. Check out these blog about GameDay- Local’s Survival Guide To A Tennessee Vol’s Gameday and 6 Fun Things To Do With Kids Before A Vol’s Gameday.
Times can change for individual games so double check your UT Athletics App for the exact times for the game you are going to. I hope this answers your questions and feel free to reach out if you have any more. Let me know what game you are going to and I might be able to give you more detailed tips. You can email me at info@backyardknoxville.com. Thanks!- Amanda