The future of the Big Orange Caravan – Tennessee’s annual trip to several regional markets that features the head coaches of the major sports programs – has created plenty of stir this offseason with reports circulating that it might not continue.
New athletic director John Currie announced earlier in the spring that it would continue, albeit with a different schedule. The Vols officially released that “revamped” schedule on Tuesday morning. It includes a stop in Chattanooga on June 3, a stop in Memphis on June 11, a stop in Nashville on July 10 that coincides with the annual UT All-Sports picnic, as well as a stop in the Tri-Cities area that has yet to be finalized. There’s no mention of a stop in Atlanta, which has been a location for past caravans.
“I’m excited to hit the road, travel across the state of Tennessee with many of our coaches and connect with our fans to thank them for the role they play in the success of Tennessee Athletics and our university as a whole,” Currie said. “We’ve revamped our traditional caravan format and have reshaped it to reflect the type of event that will allow us to give our fans a personal, fun experience and provide a greater opportunity for engagement. We also feel it’s important to utilize these events as a way to celebrate and support UT students from each of these communities.”
The release from Tennessee says that Butch Jones, Currie and host Bob Kesling will appear at each event, which will also feature meet-and-greets with area VFLs and other UT coaches and members of UT’s Sprit Squads.
UT also says there will be “family-friendly activities at each Big Orange Caravan event include music, a prize wheel, Smokey the mascot, a photo booth with a Neyland Stadium backdrop, cornhole, a social media station, free popcorn, face painting and more.’
Tickets to all the events will be $5 per person in advance and $10 at the door.
