Tennessee football spring game: Things to know, tickets, who to watch including Nico Iamaleava
Pay $5 and you can watch Tennessee football play the Orange and White spring game on Saturday.
It’s a small price for general admission to Neyland Stadium to see the Vols, who are reloading from their 11-2 record and Orange Bowl win last season. But you can also watch it on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
Quarterbacks Joe Milton and Nico Iamaleava get top billing for the spring game, which begins at 2:30 p.m. But there’s more to see and do.
Here’s what you need to know.
How to get tickets to game
Admission is $5 for non-premium seats. That includes all open sections of the bowl in Neyland Stadium, but the south end will be closed for renovations. Walk-up admission will be available, but fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
All proceeds count as a contribution to UT’s “My All” campaign. To purchase tickets in advance, go to AllVols.com or call the UT ticket office at 865-656-1200. All tickets will be digital and accessed via a mobile device like during the regular season.
This is the first time since 2011 that UT's spring game won't be free admission. Other schools like Georgia already sell tickets to spring games.
There’s more to do before game
Vol Village Music Festival will be held at Lot 9 from noon-2 p.m. Country artist Matt Stillwell and Knoxville native Emily Ann Roberts will headline the show, which is free of charge.
There will also be food trucks, activities for all ages and a pep rally featuring the Pride of the Southland Pep Band and UT spirit squads.
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See Nico Iamaleava’s best and (maybe) worst
For many of you, seeing this 5-star quarterback is the main reason you’re going to the game.
Iamaleava likely will make a couple of “wow” throws. He also could overthrow a couple of passes – that’s happened occasionally in practice – and make a few freshman mistakes.
Try to digest the good and the bad and not overreact to either. Iamaleava, at least, needs to be ready to serve as Milton’s backup this season.
Judge him through that lens, but feel free to enjoy the long-term potential of his talent.
Get first glimpse at Dont’e Thornton
You’re going to like Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton, who was added to help replenish the receiving corps after Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman left for the NFL Draft.
Thornton is a 6-foot-5, 205-pounder with long strides. He’s sort of the opposite of Squirrel White, the 5-10, 165-pound twitchy playmaker. They both play slot receiver, where Hyatt was last season.
Thornton should pass the eye test for many fans.
Watch how Joe Milton runs the offense
You’ve seen enough of Milton to form an opinion. He was a very good backup for Hendon Hooker and a successful short-term starter as the Orange Bowl MVP in the win over Clemson.
Milton has the size, talent and elite arm strength to do the job well. But, more importantly, watch how efficiently he runs the offense because that will matter when the season arrives.
Milton played well in the Orange Bowl, but the Vols also punted a season-high eight times in that game. And in UT’s first intrasquad scrimmage of spring, the offense had some three-and-out possessions.
For UT to maintain a high-powered offense, it needs Milton run it smoothly.
Pay attention to Byron Young, Darnell Wright replacements
Offensive tackle Darnell Wright and edge rusher Byron Young are both climbing NFL mock drafts. The Vols are enacting plans to replace them, and you can see the results.
Miami transfer John Campbell is sharing time at offensive tackle with Gerald Mincey and Jeremiah Crawford. Who plays left or right tackle is still uncertain.
Joshua Josephs, James Pearce and Caleb Herring are young edge rushers who must fill Young’s role. Josephs and Pearce were 4-star recruits in the 2022 class. Herring, a former Riverdale standout, was a 4-star recruit in the 2023 class and an early enrollee as a freshman.
There’s no clearcut way to judge the faceoff between those tackles and edge rushers, but both positions will be important this season.
Know who will and won’t play
It’s worthwhile to get a first impression of other transfers, including offensive guard Andrej Karic (Texas), offensive tackle Larry Johnson (Hutchinson Community College), tight end McCallan Castles (UC-Davis), defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott (Arizona State), linebacker Keenan Pili (BYU), cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally (BYU) and placekicker Charles Campbell (Indiana).
Keep in mind that 4-star defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs and 3-star edge rusher Nathan Robinson are out with injuries, but other freshmen will play in the game.
Running back Jabari Small, running back Jaylen Wright, wide receiver Bru McCoy, linebacker Kwauze Garland, cornerback Warren Burrell and cornerback Brandon Turnage are also out or limited.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football spring game: Tickets, time, TV, Nico Iamaleava
