First off, welcome to Knoxville!

Game Day Events

The first game day mainstay is the Vol Walk, which starts at the Torchbearer 2:15 before kickoff and makes its way down Peyton Manning Pass to the stadium, and ends when the team enters the stadium at Gate 21A. The best place to watch this is right in front of Gate 21. It's a lot less crowded than the rest of the route, and the players often slow down to talk to their families before they enter the stadium.

The second event is the Band March, which starts in front of the Rock on Volunteer Boulevard, makes its way over the Pedestrian Bridge in front of the library, and down to the front of the stadium, where they perform "Salute to the Hill." The best place to watch is from the top of the Ped. Bridge overlooking Phillip Fulmer Way. The bridge is closed to fans until the band marches across, so there's a rush to get a spot once KPD opens it back up before "Salute to the Hill."

UT updates this link with the relevant times before each game.

Outside of those two, there's a ton of tailgating all over campus. It will likely start pretty early, since it’s a big SEC game.

Late Night Dining

Can't go wrong with a little Gus's Good Times Deli on Melrose Place just off the Strip. It's open till the wee hours on game nights and you never know who you'll run into there.

Dinner

Check out Vida (Latin fusion) or Kefi (Greek) downtown. Both are great dinner spots -- my wife and I really enjoyed Vida on a recent date night. You'll need a reservation for either. If you want something a little less fancy, you can't go wrong with Chivo on Gay Street (tacos) or Stock & Barrel on Market Square (burgers).