Get ready for football time in Tennessee with beer, Neyland upgrades and a Smokey update

This week's Urban Knoxville newsletter comes to you from Knox News reporter Keenan Thomas. Like our work? Share our free weekly newsletter with a friend .

The Tennessee Volunteers are gearing up for the first kickoff of the season Saturday, and fans of the college football team and downtown Knoxville should be prepared for everything that's in store.

Neyland Stadium has 24 new things inside for the 2024 season , including new food, logos and Wi-Fi. For all your parking needs, we have a comprehensive guide to navigating campus on game days.

(And for those who spend most of their life on campus, I personally visited each student parking lot to help you decide which is best.)

Neyland Stadium will have 11 beer options to choose from, including Yee-Haw Brewing Company's official Vol Lager . If you're looking for something stronger, Ole Smokey Moonshine will be sold in select premium locations inside Neyland Stadium.

Smokey XI unfortunately won't be on the sidelines this year, but the beloved canine mascot will still run through the "Power T" formed by the Pride of the Southland Band before kickoff.

UT has already released the depth chart , allowing fans to see who's starting. If you want an extra opinion, Blake Toppmeyer ranked all the SEC quarterbacks .

On a lighter note, Knox News reporters settled the debate over whether Tennessee or Texas is the real UT . We looked at the history of both universities , the science behind the different shades of orange , Tennessee's historical relationship to Texas and a side-by-side comparison of facts and figures. . Even John Adams weighed in!

See y'all later, and go Vols!

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Get ready for football time in Tennessee with beer, Neyland upgrades and a Smokey update