Tennessee to honor Neyland, Dickey, Fulmer with 'Championship Corner' outside Neyland Stadium

Tennessee on Thursday announced that the Vols will honor former coaches General Robert Neyland, Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer in a new “Championship Corner” on the southwest end of Neyland Stadium. 

The statue of General Neyland, which was previously on the stadium’s west side, will be moved to the new Championship Corner while bronze pillars will be added to honor Dickey and Fulmer. Completion of Championship Corner is scheduled for next fall. 

“The new Championship Corner stands as a powerful tribute to three of the most influential figures in our storied gridiron history,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said in a press release. 

The Neyland statue was dedicated in 2010 and previously stood in front of the west side of these stadium, across from Peyton Manning Pass and Phillip Fulmer Way. 

It was moved to the north end of the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center to make room for the Founders Suite lobby below the new Founders Suites on the second floor of the stadium.

“The Gen. Robert Neyland statue will relocate to Championship Corner,” the Vols announced, “and serve as a centerpiece to the welcoming plaza.”

Tennessee to honor Doug Dickey, Phillip Fulmer this season

“With the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium,” White added, “we have created a prominent space that celebrates our championship legacy.”

Neyland coached the Vols from 1926 to 1952, with two interruptions for military service in 1935 and again from 1941 to 1945. He led Tennessee to four national championships — 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1951 — and five SEC championships while going 173-31-12.

Dickey led the Vols from 1964 to 1969, going 46-15-4 with a national championship and two SEC championships. He was the 1965 and 1967 SEC Coach of the Year and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. 

Dickey’s 1967 team won nine straight games, finished 6-0 in the SEC and was ranked No. 1 by Litkenhous. He returned to Tennessee as athletic director in 1985, a position he held until 2003. 

Tennessee will honor Dickey when the Vols host Arkansas next Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on SEC Network. 

‘This impressive area will be accessible to Vol Nation throughout the year’

Fulmer who will be recognized before the Oklahoma game on November 1, led Tennessee to its most recent national championship, going a perfect 13-0 to win the first BCS national title in 1998. 

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and finished with a record of 152-52 at Tennessee, including back-to-back SEC championships in 1997 and 1998.

The Winchester, Tenn., native, played offensive guard at Tennessee from 1968 to 1971 and was Tennessee’s athletic director from 2017 to 2021.

Fulmer will be recognized when Tennessee takes on Oklahoma in Neyland Stadium on Nov. 1.

“This impressive area will be accessible to Vol Nation throughout the year,” White said of the new Championship Corner, “showcasing our commitment to honoring those who have shaped our legacy in a truly fitting manner.”