The buzz around Tennessee’s program after a come-from-behind win at South Carolina and the emergence of Joshua Dobbs at quarterback could lead to a fourth sellout on the season.
Coach Butch Jones said on Monday that the Vols are just short of one at the beginning of the week and are hopeful that 102,455 will fill Neyland again this week as they did for Utah State, Florida and Alabama already this season.
“We are going to need all of 102,455,” Jones said. “There is 1,000 tickets left for the game. I believe it will be out fourth sellout, which is amazing. The fan base has been outstanding, the student body, and we are going to need it at 4 o’clock to make Neyland another great home field advantage for us. So we need everyone to come out and continue to support us which they have.”
Tickets are scarce on Tennessee’s official ticket website, with only one section in the lower bowl having tickets listed as available and many of the sections having just singles up for purchase as of Tuesday morning.
The Vols averaged 95,584 fans per game in 2013, Jones’ first season in Knoxville. Tennessee has a chance to set a new post-Phillip Fulmer attendance mark this season if the Vols can sell out both the upcoming Kentucky and Missouri games. Two more sellouts would put the Vols at an average of 100,701, the highest since the legendary coach resigned in 2008 and less than 1,000 per game under the post-renovation record at Neyland.
Average official attendance totals since 2007:
2007: 103,918
(capacity dropped to 102,455)
2008: 101,448
2009: 99,220
2010: 99,781
2011: 94,642
2012: 89,965
2013: 95,584
