'Stop the nonsense!': Tennessee AD Danny White addresses student seating at Food City Center
Tennessee athletic director Danny White took to social media on Tuesday to address criticism about student seating for men’s basketball games at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. He responded to a fan asking for students to be moved closer to the court.
Students currently sit in sections 113–114 and 128–129 in the lower bowl, the sections behind each basket. There is also overflow seating in the southwest corner of the upper deck, in sections 323–327A.
“We already changed the student section prior to the ’22-23 season,” White wrote on social media, “moving the students from the corner to behind both baskets, closer to the court, increasing lower bowl seats by 40% (1,279 to 1,717), while keeping the same number of upper bowl seats (2,166). We did this to enhance our home-court advantage and it has worked. Atmosphere is electric!
“It’s disingenuous to compare the third-largest college basketball arena in the country, that’s sold out for the season, to buildings half the size with a fraction of the season ticket base. Stop the nonsense!”
The change before the 2022-23 season made sections 113 and 114 student seating.
I guess since it’s day 5 I’ll answer, but won’t be addressing this again. We already changed the student section prior to the 22-23 season, moving the students from the corner to behind both baskets, closer to the court, increasing lower bowl seats by 40% (1279 to 1717), while… https://t.co/gWr4QZJ9iB
— Danny White (@AD_DannyWhite) January 23, 2024
Tennessee basketball season tickets sold-out during preseason
The Vols announced on November 1 they had officially sold out the allotment of 14,500 season tickets at Thompson-Boling Arena this season. It’s the seventh consecutive full-capacity season with more than 13,000 season tickets sold for men’s basketball.
Last season the Vols averaged 18,781 fans at home games, which ranked fifth nationally. There were only eight schools that averaged more than 15,100 fans at home games.
Tennessee has already set a new single-season program record for sellouts this season with six. The Vols played in front of capacity crowds at the Food City Center in wins over Illinois, Ole Miss and Alabama. Games against Texas A&M (February 24), Auburn (February 28) ad Kentucky (March 9) are also sold out.
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The Vols announced on January 12 that limited tickets games against LSU (February 7) ad Vanderbilt (February 17).
Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Last season Tennessee tied a program record with five sellouts at Thompson-Boling Arena, matching a mark that dated back to 1987-88. It’s the 37th season for the Vols at the arena, the third-largest on-campus basketball facility in the county.
Tennessee (14-4, 4-1 SEC) rolled through Alabama in a 91-71 win Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena to improve to 10-0 at home this season.
The Vols do not have a midweek game this week and are off until Saturday, when they go to Vanderbilt for a 6 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: SEC Network) at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville
Tennessee is 118-22 at home during the Rick Barnes era, included undefeated seasons at home in 2018-19 (18-0) and 2021-22 (16-0).
