Tennessee AD Danny White announces plan for entertainment district connecting football, basketball arenas

Tennessee athletic director Danny White is exploring building an entertainment district connecting Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena, he announced Wednesday. Dubbed the “Neyland Entertainment District,” it would span the Tennessee River waterfront by the Vols’ football stadium.

The entertainment district would be a “public-private partnership”, described in a press release as “a mechanism for government to procure and implement public infrastructure” using resources from both public and private sectors. Similarly, MLB teams such as the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays have used public-private partnerships for entertainment districts surrounding their stadiums.

The potential project would feature a 12-story hotel with for-sale condominiums and and space for conferences and events adjacent to the south end of Neyland Stadium. Not only that, but it would also come equipped with boutiques and the potential development of a “tabletop” above the G10 parking garage for additional tailgating, restaurants and retail.

Tennessee has made a formal “Request of Information” to gauge interest from developers.

“Innovation is at the forefront of everything we do,” White said in the press release. “The ideation of this new Neyland Entertainment District exemplifies that mindset. This is a massive project that has the potential to positively impact our entire city. We’re eager to see what world-class developers dream up to creatively maximize this extraordinary market opportunity. We have the capacity for constructing an entertainment ecosystem that doesn’t presently exist anywhere across the collegiate landscape.”

Tennessee’s plan to build the entertainment district follows a similar initiative from Iowa State. The Cyclones announced plans to build “CyTown” and are slated to begin working on improvements to Cyclone Alley this month.

Tennessee is joining ISU and hopes the project can “enhance the Tennessee football gameday experience while also transforming the campus riverfront and supplementing Knoxville’s array of gathering centers,” the press release said.

“Neyland Stadium has always been known for having one of the best gameday environments in college football,” Chancellor Donde Plowman said in the press release. “We love to welcome Vol Nation to campus on Saturdays in the fall. This project has the potential to create a year-round destination that engages the Tennessee River waterfront and enhances the campus and our community.” 

Univeristy president Randy Boyd also expressed excitement for the idea.

“This public-private partnership opportunity will enhance the look and atmosphere of Neyland Stadium and the Knoxville campus while creating an additional destination for the city of Knoxville, all without state funding,” he said.