The Savannah Bananas, known for their lively blend of baseball and entertainment, are set to invigorate Neyland Stadium this Saturday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Neyland Stadium is preparing for a different kind of crowd Saturday as the Savannah Bananas bring their fast-paced brand of baseball entertainment to Knoxville.
The sold-out event is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to campus and could provide an economic boost across Knoxville, from hotels and restaurants to local businesses.
The Savannah Bananas, known for blending baseball with entertainment through dancing, music, crowd interaction and unique rules designed to speed up play, chose Neyland Stadium as part of a football stadium tour.
University of Tennessee Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Longworth said conversations about bringing the Bananas to Knoxville began more than a year ago.
The event was coordinated with help from Visit Knoxville and comes after other large-scale Neyland events, including concerts that have helped bring new visitors to campus.
“Opening it up is very good for our community,” Longworth said. “For all of the local businesses that are in the community, driving 100,000 people, it’s great for tourism.”
Longworth said UT expects more out-of-town visitors than usual and plans to have additional staff on campus to help guests navigate the stadium.
“Neyland is really hard to navigate if you’ve never been in there before,” Longworth said.
The university has also used large events to test traffic flow improvements ahead of football season. Officials previously tested traffic adjustments during the recent Luke Combs concert and plan additional traffic operations during Saturday’s event.
Parking remains a major focus.
UT officials encourage people without pre-purchased campus parking to consider downtown parking options or park-and-ride shuttles operating from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum area.
Longworth said the Savannah Bananas retain ticket and merchandise revenue from the event. Tennessee Athletics will still generate revenue through food and beverage operations and other game-day activities, though Longworth said it is less profitable than football games or concerts.
Crews have spent more than three weeks converting Shields-Watkins Field from football to baseball, bringing in dirt, clay and a pitcher’s mound.
Longworth said Vol fans should not worry about the field’s condition heading into football season.
“Absolutely no worries,” Longworth said. “They have nothing to worry about. We will be ready for kickoff in the fall.”
Rain is also in the forecast Saturday, and officials encourage fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time before heading to Neyland Stadium.
