Fans Energize Open Practice

Head coach Butch Jones said that performing in front of the home crowd was a great experience for the team as it prepares for its 2015 season opener against Bowling Green on Sept. 5 in Nashville.

“Tonight was absolutely invaluable,” Jones said . “Any time you can have a practice and be able to compete in front of your fans [it’s great]. I’d like to start off and thank everyone for coming out. Around 40,000 people again is very, very special for a practice, but it is a tremendous evaluation tool too see how our players perform when there are people in the stands.”

The Pride of the Southland Band was on hand, playing famliar favorites and the UT alma mater at the end of practice. The cheerleaders energized the crowd and VFLs were on hand to share in the excitement of the coming season.

The winners of the “One of 119” contest were in the stands after following various social media clues over the last four months to locate 119 special prize boxes around the country. Each box included a new Nike Vol t-shirt, game tickets and an invitation to sit in a special section at Saturday’s practice. Jones interacted with the “One of 119” winners and signed autographs after practice.