Tennessee releases season ticket allocation process

Tennessee officials have announced a capacity of 25% inside Neyland Stadium with fans socially distanced. What the hard number seating capacity is at this point is unclear because of how ticket holders might be grouped inside the stadium. Officials will use a software package to help generate the maximum amount of seating at the socially distanced requirements.

Tennessee has sold approximately 56,000 season tickets for this fall. Tickets for the 2020 season will be a true season ticket, meaning season ticket holders who have the opportunity to buy tickets will get tickets for all five home games.

Ticket allocation will be based on their donor ranking (priority points) which is a combination of their contributions and longevity as a season ticket holder.

Donors who are Bronze Victor status or above will have the opportunity to receive a maximum of 8 tickets. Victor donors contribute $5,000 or more a year. Mountaineer level donors ($2,500 or more a year) will receive a max of four tickets. Those ticket maximums are reduced from a normal year and as a result 5,400 more tickets are available making it possible for more donors to get tickets. In short, the people making the biggest donations aren’t taking all the tickets.

Tennessee’s student section will remain the same which is sections D-K with students in those sections socially distanced. Student ticket allotment and distribution will be handled through the office of student life and students will request to purchase them as the normally have in previous years.

It’s unclear at this point, how the band is going to adjust inside the stadium. The band is being given their regular section to work with, but how they socially distance and handle that is unclear at this time. Officials said last week that the VolWalk and the bands traditional march to the stadium would be difficult under the current health guidelines.

The football players who dress will receive 4 tickets for families per NCAA rules. Those tickets are a part of the 25% and SEC guidelines say 500 tickets are to be provided for the road team at every venue in the league.

Last week donors had the choice to opt in or opt out for tickets this fall. This morning, Tennessee is sending out an email to everyone who “opted in” to explain the allocation process. Thursday, Tennessee will begin with the first segment of donor seat assignments. If a season-ticket holder does not want their assigned seat locations, they can still opt out and donate, rollover to 2021 or request a refund for the funds in their account.

Any donor who opts out will not lose their status in the donor fund for the 2020 season. So anyone who initially renewed their tickets this year will still be a part of the 2021 renewal process. Also, any donor who opts out this fall will not have their Tennessee Fund “consecutive years of giving” negatively impacted moving forward.

After the first segment of donors make their choices then Tennessee will move forward on the donor list to the next segment of contributors and they will continue to do so until tickets are all spoken for.

Officials hope to have the allocation process done in the next month and no later than ten days prior to first home game against Missouri on Oct. 3rd.