Pruitt on Reduced Crowd Size: “We've Got to be Ready Whenever the Time Comes.”

Neyland Stadium won't be full this fall; how can the Vols adapt to the change?

One of the most attractive elements of playing in the SEC is fan interest; stadiums are packed every Saturday, crowd noise is always a factor in the game, and passion for football is apparent at practically all of the conference’s institutions. Unfortunately, this year will be different due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, as very few fans — if any — will be welcomed into stadiums this fall.

Such an unusual environment will create an unprecedented situation for athletes across the Southeastern Conference, and it seems as if it is a near certainty that it will be difficult for some players to adapt to the precautionary measures which were triggered by the global pandemic. However, during a press conference on Friday evening, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt made the media well aware of one thing regarding the strange change which is looming on the horizon: The Vols will have to be ready to adapt.

“Well it's one of the great things about this league, is every week, every stadium is going to be full so obviously that'll be something different, but we train year-round – obviously there's eight weeks that we give them off – but we train when nobody's looking,” explained the third year Vols head coach. “That's the mindset that I believe we have to have as a team. I know things have changed daily over the last six months so who knows what's liable to happen as the season goes, in a positive way or a negative way, who knows? The way we're looking at it is, we're training when nobody's looking so, we've got to be ready whenever the time comes.”

The University of Tennessee’s Athletic Department recently announced that the program would allow 25% of Neyland Stadium’s capacity to be filled with fans; however, that is subject to change if the coronavirus worsens as the season progresses. “We’re looking around the 25% mark,” explained athletic director Phillip Fulmer earlier this week. “We hope to be able to achieve that.”

In addition to only allowing 25,000 fans into the stadium, the University of Tennessee has also canceled tailgating and will require face masks to be worn while on the premises. The university also anticipates that one of its longest traditions, the Vol Walk, will not be able to occur this season due to the spread of the highly contagious respiratory illness.

It is important to note that the Vols are not the only university in the SEC to be taking the proper precautions in regards to the coronavirus; Alabama will only allow 20% of Bryant-Denny Stadium’s capacity to watch games in person, while Texas A&M will welcome 30%, and Missouri plans on mimicking Tennessee’s goal of 25%. As things stand right now, the Vols first home match-up of the year will come on October 3rd against Missouri.