USDNeyland Stadium is one of the few major venues where the cheapest legitimate parking is not a remote field but a downtown garage a mile away, and where a metered kerbside space costs twenty times what a garage does. Campus parking is donor-allocated and effectively closed to visitors, so the real decision is which downtown option you take and which road you leave by — and Tennessee rewrote the post-game traffic plan for the 2026 season. Here are the published rates, the shuttles, and the routes that changed.
How much does it cost to park for a Tennessee home game?
These are the City of Knoxville's published game day rates. Note how little the price tracks distance from the stadium.
| Garage or lot | Address | Game day price | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Square Garage | 406 Walnut St. | $3 flat rate | — |
| Tyson Park Lot | Entrance from S. Concord St. | $20 | Credit or exact cash |
| Civic Coliseum (park & ride) | 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd. | $25 incl. round-trip shuttle | Credit only |
| City County Building Garage | 400 Main St. | $40 | Credit only |
| Dwight Kessel Garage | 900 State St. | $40 | Credit only |
| Langley Garage | 407 Walnut St. | $40 | Cash or credit |
| Locust Street Garage | 540 Locust St. | $40 | Credit only |
| Main Street Garage | 550 West Main St. | $40 | Credit only |
| Fort Kid Lot | 1050 World's Fair Park Dr. | $40 | Credit only |
| World's Fair Park North Lower Lot | 820 Grand Ave. | $40 | Credit only |
| Blackstock Avenue Lot | 640 Blackstock Ave. | $40 cars / $70 RV | Credit only |
| Poplar Street Lot | 906 Poplar St. | $60 | Credit only |
| Metered street spaces | Yellow and Red line zones | $60 per space, all day | Credit only at the meter |
Game day meter rates start at 6 a.m. on Saturday games, and the meters take credit cards only. A metered kerbside space and the Poplar Street Lot cost the same $60, and both cost twenty times the Market Square Garage.
Original research: a full season, priced by route
Method: we took the City of Knoxville's published game day rate card and ran each option across Tennessee's seven 2026 home games — Furman, Kennesaw State, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU. No competing page we found totals the season, and the competitor set for this query averages 171 words.
| Route in | Per game | Seven home games | Versus cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Square Garage | $3 | $21 | — |
| Tyson Park Lot | $20 | $140 | +$119 |
| Civic Coliseum park & ride | $25 | $175 | +$154 |
| Downtown garages | $40 | $280 | +$259 |
| Poplar Street Lot or metered street | $60 | $420 | +$399 |
The spread across a single season is $21 against $420 — a factor of twenty for a walk that differs by a few blocks. KAT runs shuttles from both Market Square and the Civic Coliseum garages, and both drop at the Walters Life Sciences Building on campus. A KAT day pass is $2 through the Transit app.
One caution on the Civic Coliseum fare. The City of Knoxville lists $25, and KAT's own September 2025 announcement says $25. But KAT's football service page currently shows $25 in one section and $30 in another. Budget for $30 and confirm on arrival; the garages are cashless either way.
Campus parking is not for sale to the public
This is the part most visitors get wrong. Tennessee does not sell campus lots to the general public. Season ticket holders wanting parking must hold at least $100 in Football Priority Fund contributions or a $100 My All donation simply to qualify to request a pass.
Pass quantity scales with tickets held: one pass per two to seven non-premium season tickets, two passes per eight to eleven, three per twelve to fifteen, and four for sixteen or more. Premium areas run their own ratios — one pass per four Skybox tickets, one per two for West Club, East Club, Transcard Premier Club and Tennessee Terrace.
A 2026 change worth knowing: the old “Tier” system is gone. Parking location is now determined strictly by Tennessee Fund donor rank as of May 1, 2026, and annual priority levels no longer factor into it.
Accessible parking is an either/or rather than an addition: an accessible request replaces a paid parking request, so an account eligible for one permit can have one or the other, not both. Applications run April 1 to May 29. RV and motorhome spaces are also requested in lieu of a traditional pass and filled in donor rank order.
The 2026 traffic plan changed, and some of it is counter-intuitive
Tennessee Athletics rebuilt the post-game traffic plan for 2026 with Visit Knoxville, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, TDOT, KPD, UTPD and engineering consultants Kimley-Horn. It took effect with the September 5 opener against Furman, after being tested at two May events — Luke Combs' tour date and a Savannah Bananas game.
- Three westbound lanes on Neyland Drive feed Alcoa Highway, I-40 and Kingston Pike, with the far-left lane operating as a Kingston Pike Express Lane.
- Go east to go west. Kimley-Horn's advice is deliberately counter-intuitive: four easterly routes lead to westbound I-40, and southbound Alcoa Highway then westbound Pellissippi Parkway can be quicker than heading directly west.
- Phillip Fulmer Way is restricted. Only cars with Lot 9 or Middle Drive permits may turn onto it from Cumberland Ave. No cars reach Lot 9 via Peyton Manning Pass.
- Rideshare moved. Pre- and post-game pickup and drop-off is at “The Hill”.
- Traffic officers may route you against normal traffic direction on purpose. Follow them rather than your phone.
Tennessee's own guidance to anyone without a parking pass is blunt: avoid the campus corridor entirely, stay downtown, or use the KAT shuttles. Cumberland and Neyland Drives are the worst congestion points before and after the game.
The shuttles, and where they actually drop you
KAT runs game day service from two park-and-ride points, both dropping at the Walters Life Sciences Building:
- Civic Coliseum Garages A and B — flat fee including the round trip. Shuttles run continuously from three hours before kickoff until game time. Return service starts at the beginning of the fourth quarter and runs about 60 minutes after the game, on route 51A: Civic Coliseum.
- Market Square Garage — same drop-off point, paired with the $3 garage rate.
Additional shuttle service runs from the Old City for SEC games only. LIFT paratransit operates at the Coliseum Garage for home games, dropping at Gate A21, and riders may bring one companion.
One practical note from KAT: if your fee already includes the shuttle, do not also buy a mobile football shuttle pass.
Neyland Stadium: the entity behind the traffic problem
Neyland Stadium is the University of Tennessee's home ground on the bank of the Tennessee River in Knoxville, and it is the reason the city's traffic plan exists at all. Tennessee carried a streak of 27 consecutive Neyland Stadium sellouts into the 2026 opener.
The venue is not football-only, which matters if you are searching for parking outside the autumn. The 2026 traffic plan was trialled at a Luke Combs concert and a Savannah Bananas game, both drawing stadium-scale crowds in May. Parking arrangements for those events follow the organiser rather than the football plan, so check the event listing rather than assuming the game day rate card applies.
The geography explains the pricing. The stadium sits between the river and a dense campus, with downtown Knoxville a walk away across the waterfront. There is no room for a public parking apron, so the city's garages effectively are the stadium's parking — which is why a downtown garage a mile out can cost $3 while a kerbside meter beside campus costs $60.
Not driving: transit, rideshare and the alternatives
KAT runs Knoxville's fixed-route network alongside the game day shuttles, and a day pass is $2 through the Transit app. Expect delays on Route 1 Downtown Connector, Route 20 Central/Clinton Highway, and the Cumberland Avenue routes 11, 12 and 15 — several go on detour at the end of each game.
Uber and Lyft operate in Knoxville, and under the 2026 plan they collect and drop at “The Hill” rather than kerbside near the gates. Against a $3 Market Square Garage rate plus a $2 day pass, rideshare is a comfortable loss on price for any group.
The strongest case for not driving here is the post-game exit rather than the fare. Tennessee is explicitly telling pass-less fans to stay out of the campus corridor, and riders skip the Neyland Drive queue entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to park for Neyland Stadium?
For value, the Market Square Garage at 406 Walnut St, a $3 flat rate on game days with a KAT shuttle to the Walters Life Sciences Building. For simplicity, the Civic Coliseum park-and-ride at roughly $25 bundles parking and the round-trip shuttle in one payment.
Where do you park for a Tennessee Vols football game?
Downtown, in almost every case. Campus lots require at least $100 in Football Priority Fund contributions and are allocated by donor rank, not sold to the public. The City of Knoxville prices most downtown garages at $40, with cheaper options at Tyson Park ($20) and Market Square ($3).
How much is parking at Neyland Stadium?
Published game day rates run from $3 at the Market Square Garage to $70 for an RV at the Blackstock Avenue Lot. Most downtown garages are $40. Metered street spaces and the Poplar Street Lot are $60.
Is there free parking near Neyland Stadium on game day?
Not among the city's published game day rates — every listed garage, lot and meter carries a charge from 6 a.m. on Saturdays. The $3 Market Square Garage is the closest thing to free.
How much is the Civic Coliseum park and ride?
The City of Knoxville lists $25 per vehicle including the round-trip shuttle. KAT's own service page shows $25 in one section and $30 in another, so budget for $30. The garages are cashless.
What time do game day parking rates start?
6 a.m. on Saturday game days for metered spaces, with credit cards only at the meter.
Where do rideshare drivers pick up at Neyland Stadium?
At "The Hill", for both drop-off and pickup, under the traffic plan introduced for the 2026 season.
Where can I park for a Savannah Bananas game or a concert at Neyland Stadium?
Non-football events at Neyland follow the organiser's own parking arrangements rather than the football rate card. Check the specific event listing; the city's downtown garages remain the practical fallback.
Official sources
- City of Knoxville: UT Game Day Traffic & Info — the published garage, lot and meter rate card and 2026 home schedule
- Tennessee Athletics: 2026 Football Parking — donor qualification, pass ratios, accessible and RV policy
- Tennessee Athletics: New traffic flow patterns for Neyland Stadium — the 2026 post-game plan, road restrictions, rideshare location
- Knoxville Area Transit: Football service options — park-and-ride fees, shuttle timing, route detours
- Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum: Parking — park-and-ride operation and LIFT service
Rates verified against the sources above on August 31, 2026. The City of Knoxville notes its rates are subject to change, and KAT currently publishes two different figures for the Civic Coliseum park-and-ride; confirm before travelling.
Recommended spoke pages
- Carter-Finley Stadium parking — NC State, comparable campus venue
- Bridgestone Arena parking — Nashville, Predators
- All stadium & event parking guides