KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Classes at the University of Tennessee begin on Aug. 19. More than a week before then, students across campus are preparing to race across campus to find parking spots. They said the school's parking issues will soon start for the year.
Several said they need to arrive on campus around an hour early, to avoid being late for appointments and work. Sarah Fawaz, Kayla Bunch and Ricky Stout are all graduate students and said they are tired of having to fight for parking while also balancing work and school.
"I would have to be here one to two hours earlier," said Fawaz. "While I'm waiting for a bus at the other side of campus, I'm losing points to my GPA."
She said the parking pass she needed to park closer to campus has already sold out. She's a commuter student. UT said there are 11,273 parking spots available for students to use this school year. That includes commuter, non-commuter and Park and Ride spots.
As of Aug. 7, UT said it sold a total of 20,838 parking passes. That includes 10,249 commuter permits, 4,126 non-commuter permits, 956 Park and RIde permits and 5,507 employee permits.
"It is not commuter-friendly. Sometimes, I'm booking it to class," she said.
Some students also said despite paying for a pass, whether they will manage to find a space is a flip of a coin. For the 2024-2025 school year, student parking pass prices range from $84 to $390
"It's not a guaranteed spot, but it's a more guaranteed spot than others," said Kayla.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the University of Tennessee said:
"We have a waitlist for students who have not been able to purchase their desired permit, and we are working to secure more spaces based on demand. We currently have limited permits available including park and ride, evening and motorcycle permits."
The university said it is offering a "new transportation option" for students and staff. Instead of parking on campus, students and staff can park in a garage near the Knoxville Civil Auditorium and ride a UT bus to and from campus. It's called "Park and Ride," and permits for this kind of parking cost around $100.
Buses for the program run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every 10 minutes. They drop pass holders off at Gate 21 of Neyland Stadium. After 5 p.m., UT said people can use the Park and Ride permit to park on campus.