KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the start of the University of Tennessee's (UT) football season draws near, fans can expect tickets and parking passes to look different this year. In July, UT announced they will be digital this season.
The move has sparked many questions for Vols fans, including Jim Jackson.
"Quite frankly, some of the internet connections to the stadium are not that great," he said. "So if you do not do an accurate download, or a transfer to, you know, a wallet type of app to use your tickets... if you are trying to do that outside the gate, it could be problematic."
To address those questions, UT staff met with fans Saturday morning right outside Neyland Stadium. Blake Pallansch, who serves as the associate athletic director of ticket sales at UT, said the move to digital will help lines move quicker on game day.
"We noticed pretty long lines last year and our goal is to have more folks at Neyland each and every season," he added.
Pallansch said this new ticketing system will also help avoid ticket fraud.
"With a paper ticket, there is nothing keeping somebody from photocopying, that, selling it out on the street corner," he explained. "And, ultimately, this is a lot safer for our fans to make sure that their tickets do not get stolen."
Before you head out on game day, you should follow these steps to make sure the process will run as smoothly as possible:
1. Download the Tennessee Athletics app on your smartphone
2. Go to the top left corner, select My Tickets, and sign in to your Ticket Master account
3. Select the game you are attending
4. Scroll over until you find the ticket you want to use
5. Add it to your Apple Wallet or any other similar app
Pallansch said, though, that fans who do not own a smartphone should not worry. He said people will still have access to the box offices to get help on game day.
The Vols quick off football season on Thursday, September 1 against Ball State. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. at Neyland Stadium.