KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Football's first home game is Saturday and Vol Navy is ready.
The new dock opened last week at Volunteer Landing near Neyland Stadium.
Every fall, the Vol Navy dock is home to hundreds of tailgaters anxious to cheer on the Vols.
They are excited about the new dock.
The new, nearly 600-foot-long dock is made of a composite decking material and also includes two new gangways or platform walkways.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency funded the project with a $400,000 grant. Matching funds of $100,000 came from the city and UT. The Public Building Authority managed the project.
The City of Knoxville owns the public dock, and UT has agreed to inspect and maintain it. The City will continue to provide trash receptacles and trash pickup.
RELATED: A look inside game day at Vol Navy
"The old Vol Navy Dock and the concrete pavilion were built in 1994 through a TWRA grant, with some 200 feet added in 1998," the city said in a release.
The pavilion is a concrete-based structure built into Volunteer Landing and remains the same.
"Volunteer Landing is a 13-acre public recreational space enjoyed daily by boaters and paddlers on the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville," the release said. "The area is also enjoyed by thousands of fishermen, bicyclists and pedestrians using the greenway system that runs alongside the riverfront."
University of Tennessee’s first home football game on Aug. 31.
