- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,050
- Reaction score
- 59
Tennessee is returning the Gen. Robert Neyland statue to its rightful place alongside the stadium that bears his name.
In 2024, the statue depicting the Vols’ iconic football coach was moved from the west side of Neyland Stadium to the plaza outside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center. The relocation was always meant to be temporary in order to protect the statue from debris during stadium renovation.
On June 3, UT moved the Neyland statue back to the perimeter of the stadium. It will be placed on its base and become the centerpiece of the new Championship Corner plaza on the southwest corner of the stadium.
The new plaza will feature bronze pillars honoring UT coaches Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer alongside the Neyland statue.
Dickey led the Vols to two SEC titles, and his 1967 team was recognized as the No. 1 team in the nation by the Litkenhous poll. Fulmer won two SEC titles and the 1998 national championship.
Neyland coached the Vols from 1926-52, including two interruptions for military service (1935, 1941-45). UT won four national titles (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951) and finished 173-31-12 under his watch, including five SEC championships. The Neyland statue was dedicated in 2010.
For now, Championship Corner plaza is closed. But it’s scheduled for completion before Tennessee’s season opener against Furman on Sept. 5.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Neyland statue returns to Tennessee football stadium for 2026 season
Continue reading...
In 2024, the statue depicting the Vols’ iconic football coach was moved from the west side of Neyland Stadium to the plaza outside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center. The relocation was always meant to be temporary in order to protect the statue from debris during stadium renovation.
On June 3, UT moved the Neyland statue back to the perimeter of the stadium. It will be placed on its base and become the centerpiece of the new Championship Corner plaza on the southwest corner of the stadium.
The new plaza will feature bronze pillars honoring UT coaches Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer alongside the Neyland statue.
Dickey led the Vols to two SEC titles, and his 1967 team was recognized as the No. 1 team in the nation by the Litkenhous poll. Fulmer won two SEC titles and the 1998 national championship.
Neyland coached the Vols from 1926-52, including two interruptions for military service (1935, 1941-45). UT won four national titles (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951) and finished 173-31-12 under his watch, including five SEC championships. The Neyland statue was dedicated in 2010.
For now, Championship Corner plaza is closed. But it’s scheduled for completion before Tennessee’s season opener against Furman on Sept. 5.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Neyland statue returns to Tennessee football stadium for 2026 season
Continue reading...
