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Neyland Stadium upgrades aim to enhance fan experience

The goal is to have all these Phase 1 upgrades complete before the start of the 2020 football season, with demolition of the South Stadium Hall expected to begin this year.

The University of Tennessee is now accepting bids for renovations to the south side of Neyland Stadium.

Phase 1 of the project is estimated to cost about $144 million dollars, mainly to upgrade stadium necessities.

Right now there are 16 specific projects planned for Phase 1.

They include widening Concourses 1, 2 and 3, along with their bathrooms and concession areas. The projects also include upgrades to retail options and entry points — all to make the fan experience more enjoyable.

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That's something UT Quarterbacks Club president Jeff Hagood says is so important.

"[We need to] do what we can within reason to make sure our facilities are fresh and they're accommodating and they're pleasing," Hagood said.

The goal is to have all the Phase 1 upgrades complete before the start of the 2020 football season, with demolition of the South Stadium Hall expected to begin this year.

But if you look at the stadium master plan, ideas for upgrades get more creative than upgraded bathrooms.

Meeting notes show the discussion of including coffee stands because "millennials enjoy hot and cold coffee drinks."

Also, the idea of ordering mid-game snacks from your phone to cut down on wait times at concession stands.

Even the idea of "cooling zones" for those hot early season games.

The plan also accounts for the possibility of alcohol sales in the future. While UT is currently a dry campus, the plan says "the expectation is for this to change over the next several years. S2O recommends providing utilities and power for future bars and refrigeration."

UT stresses these are just ideas right now, with nothing set in stone.

But the idea remains the same, to make Neyland Stadium better for the 100,000-plus fans who pack these seats in the fall.

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