Last weekend, as the Vols were preparing to host No.1 Texas, it was announced that President Donald Trump would be making the trip to Knoxville for the top-15 SEC showdown inside Neyland Stadium.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.In the days leading up to the game, the school knew that there would be a massive influx in traffic around the stadium due to heightened security measures that are put into place when the President is attending an event.COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF EXPANSION IS NOTHING MORE THAN A DESPERATE FINANCIAL BAILOUT DISGUISED AS PROGRESSSo, the school announced it would open the gates to its gigantic stadium an hour earlier than usual, allowing fans to enter at 9 a.m.
ET and avoid security lines that have caused some fans to miss kickoff at previous events attended by the president.Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texas Longhorns at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept.26, 2026.
(ISI Photos via Getty Images)Given that this was a 12 p.m.ET start time in Knoxville, that meant parking garages and stadium traffic were going to start picking up around breakfast time.
For me, I decided to show up at the stadium around 8 a.m.ET knowing what my previous experiences were like in Miami for the CFP title game and Tuscaloosa for Donald Trump's visit in 2024.In hopes of enticing fans to arrive earlier than their normal time, Tennessee announced that they would be slashing concessions and alcohol prices by 50% for the first hour, which ran from 9-10 a.m.
ET to give fans a reason to sit inside Neyland Stadium for upwards of three hours before kickoff.Turns out, the move paid off in multiple ways.Not only was this the largest crowd I've ever seen 120 minutes before the first play, it sounds as though there were plenty of fan...