Interesting Happenings in the Visiting Team Area After the Game
Tennessee fans across Neyland Stadium often greet visiting teams with scattered boos, but that’s only part of the story. Beneath the South end of the stadium, after every game, unfolds a quieter drama that few ever witness.
Since the 1948 stadium expansion, the visiting team area has been a vital hub of post-game activity. It has seen a few updates over the decades, including the addition of a media room, yet much of its character remains unchanged.
Across college football, spaces dedicated to visiting teams sometimes feel like an afterthought, but they add to the unique atmosphere of the sport. Post-game activities here are often hectic. Coaches frequently record their radio shows before meeting with reporters, creating delays for the home school’s media staff waiting upstairs in the press box.
Moments of Post-Game Tension
The 1996 game against Georgia provided a memorable example. During the post-game broadcast, Georgia head coach Jim Donnan accused Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer of running up the score with a late touchdown pass to Derrick Edmonds.
Jim Donnan suggested that Phillip Fulmer “ran up the score” with a late TD pass to Derrick Edmonds.
Off the air, Donnan casually asked co-host Loran Smith if having dinner with Archie Manning the night before might have revealed some of Georgia’s game plan—a lighthearted moment following the tension of the broadcast.
Author’s Summary
The article unveils the unseen psychological and logistical dynamics in the visiting team area at Neyland Stadium, where quiet tension often matches the energy of the field above.